


Birds of a Feather

by ParadoxProphet



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Blood and Violence, Childhood Trauma, Depression, Dorks in Love, Drama, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Heavy Angst, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Mutual Pining, Nudity, Obliviousness, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Self-Harm, Slow Burn, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Tags May Change, Warnings May Change, Wedding Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-24
Updated: 2017-09-26
Packaged: 2018-11-18 06:09:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 24
Words: 59,773
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11285286
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ParadoxProphet/pseuds/ParadoxProphet
Summary: Prompto Argentum never believed he was worthy of a soulmate, or that he would ever meet them. He had just assumed that he'd live out his life without finding the one who shared the chocobo feather marking on his wrist. Then life takes an unexpected turn when he runs into his friend from high school and his heart feels drawn to her. But he just cares for her, there's no way he could feel more for her, could he?Katia Ferrum had just wanted to surprise her friends in Altissia for Noctis' wedding, but the fall of Insomnia leads her to travelling with the guys, and she finds herself drawn to a certain blond photographer. But they're just friends, that's all they've ever been since high school. So then why does she feel warmer every time he's close to her?





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Chasing Suns](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10750518) by [violetmarbles](https://archiveofourown.org/users/violetmarbles/pseuds/violetmarbles). 



> AAAAAAAAHHHH, HOLY SHIT THIS IS HAPPENING.
> 
> Sorry for the short prologue, but I promise that future chapters will be much longer! I had planned to start posting this after Episode Prompto was released, but I couldn't wait anymore. I am fully blaming the other great soulmate AU fics for this because they're why I got interested in making this fic in the first place. (I could only tag one of them though, but please go read the others!)
> 
> Prompto's soulmate will debut in the next chapter, I promise you that!

It is said that every person in Eos has a soulmate.

Somewhere on the body is a small marking of sorts, a sign from the Astrals themselves that leads one to their other half. Said marking is mirrored on the soulmates body, and reacts to their presence like a magnet. To be soulmates is to share pain, physical and emotional. It isn't an easy task to find said soulmate, in fact most people never do, but being united is believed to give one a sense of feeling whole. Of feeling stronger just by being near them. To be glowing in a warmth so strong that nothing can break it.

Prompto Argentum didn't believe he had a soulmate. Or rather, that he was undeserving of one.

In his mind, the idea that anyone would love him unconditionally the way he was didn't seem possible. Sure, the mark was there, but he couldn't see himself actually finding the one person in all of Eos who had a matching feather on their left wrist that went with the one on his right. What with his anxieties, his worries, and his self-esteem issues, who would ever fall for someone like him? At the very least, he was certain that this "other half" wouldn't find him, after all he had to cover the wrist to hide the other mark he'd had as long as he could remember: the barcode.

He'd only ever shown that mark to a few people, and only one had seen the feather itself. He didn't know what the barcode was, why he had it, or why it was on the same arm as his soulmate marking, but he figured it was something he'd never learn. A part of him almost didn't want to know, the thought of learning the truth scaring him. It was almost as if he knew that the truth itself would be too much for him to handle.

Instead, he tried to humor himself with the feather and thoughts of what his supposed soulmate was like. He liked to think the mark was specifically a chocobo feather, he had an affinity for the birds and assumed the marking had something to do with that. He didn't know if what the marking looked like meant something or not, but he liked to think it did. Maybe his soulmate liked chocobos as much as he did? Maybe a chocobo had something to do with how they'd meet or bond? It was a silly thing to think about, but he liked to imagine the what ifs since he figured he'd never meet them face to face.

Sometimes he found himself just looking at the chocobo feather and touching it, feeling a small warmth when he did. He wondered if his soulmate did the same things, thinking about who he was and who he was like, stroking the marking just to feel that warmth for a moment. But he never entertained those thoughts for long. He just hoped that whoever and wherever they were, they'd find happiness without him and fall for someone who didn't have the baggage he did. All he knew from their bond was that they were sad a lot and had bad headaches. And he figured that was all he'd ever know.

Unknown to him however, his soulmate was closer than he ever imagined, and the warm feeling wasn't limited to when he touched that mark. His other half was right beside him, and they didn't even realize it either. The two of them were more similar than either would have ever imagined. It wouldn't become apparent to either of them until that fateful day, the events leading up to the realization beginning with Noctis Lucis Caelum's engagement to Lunafreya Nox Fluret...


	2. Chapter 1: Silver and Iron

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hooray! I got this chapter done before Episode Prompto came out! Now I won't have to worry about the swarm of emotions getting in the way of me writing!
> 
> I'm not used to writing all the Chocobros yet, so if they're a bit OOC, I'm sorry. But here we meet the lucky lady herself! Things are going to get interesting from here on out because this girl is gonna go through a LOT. And I'm not sorry about that. I swear I love my OCs but I gotta put them through hell.

"What do you mean the boats aren't running?!"

"I'm sorry miss, but there are no boats running to Altissia at this time. There's nothing I can do about it."

"You've got to be kidding me. Any idea when they'll be running again? I need to get to Altissia and fast."

"No, I'm sorry. There aren't even any boats coming from Altissia right now."

"Great. Juuuuust great. Now what am I supposed to do?" The young woman sighed, taking a seat in the restaurant as she rested her arms and head on the table. Her entire plan was ruined. How was she supposed to make it to Altissia now?

Katia Ferrum had lived in the Crown City of Insomnia for as long as she could remember. She'd never even seen the world outside the city walls. In normal circumstances, coming to a place like Galdin Quay would be like a dream come true for her, but as things were she wished she could head back. She had no money (she didn't know what gil was until today and had stupidly left the city with currency she couldn't use), she had no way to get home unless she ran into another friendly driver who didn't mind her tagging along, and now her surprise plan was in pieces.

She tried to stop her thoughts, didn't want anxiety to get the best of her and make her start crying while she was out here in public, as she twirled a strand of her shoulder-length brown hair in her finger. She wasn't completely screwed, not yet. The boats were sure to be running again soon, what with the upcoming wedding and all, so she was bound to get out of here soon if she was just patient. However, she didn't have a place to stay until then. She had no camping gear, so the nearby heaven was useless. She had no gil, and even if she did there was no way she'd be able to gather enough to stay here at the hotel. Maybe she was screwed. She banged her head against the table. Could things possibly get any worse?

From the pocket of her jacket, she could hear her phone ring. She pulled it out, looking at the text notification. She smiled, opening up the messenger and reading the text.

Hey Kat! We're about to head out 2 Altissia! Why don't you come see us off? I'd like to see you before we have to go. :(

She giggled a little bit. Of course it was Prompto. She'd been best friends with him and Noctis since high school, they'd been an inseparable trio, always hanging out together and spending time at the arcade after school. These days, she didn't spend as much time with them as she used to. She'd started training to be in the Crownsguard shortly after graduation, leaving less time for her to spend with them. She always made sure she'd spend time with them, but her training and wishing to keep it a secret meant they spent less and less time together. It made her feel bad. Every time she had to text Prompto saying she couldn't make it, she'd feel a sinking feeling in her chest that just persisted. It made her feel lonely again.

At least all that work had paid off, as six months ago she was officially brought in to the Crowsguard, and she even had the clothes to show it. She couldn't help but wear it now, it was part of the surprise she had planned.

Speaking of the surprise, she read the text over again. They were leaving already? Katia groaned, now how would she make it to Altissia before they did? It'd only take them a few days to get here, and the guys would be able to spot her easily! She took a deep breath, first she had to respond to Prompto.

Sorry, I can't make it. I really wish I could, but I got other plans right now. TT^TT  
But don't worry! I'll be sure to hang out with you guys soon! Noct being a married man isn't about to keep him from being our friend!  
I'll see you guys soon though, I promise! I'll make it up to you then!

She hit the send button for the last text, she hated having to lie about it but it wasn't like she could walk back home to see them off. Especially since she'd planned on surprising them by beating them to Altissia, though that didn't look like an option any more. About a minute after she sent the text, she felt that sinking feeling again. The sadness, no, disappointment that she always felt in times like these. It wasn't even her fault this time though, she wasn't in the city at all. Oh well, like she said she'd make it up the next time she saw them.

She put her phone away and sighed. Back to the matter at hand then. She needed to figure out if her plan was still salvageable. Making it to Altissia before them wasn't possible now. It had taken her two days to get to Galdin Quay just by hitchhiking, and they were likely taking the car so it could take even less time depending on how many stops they'd need to make. Perhaps she could wait until they leave, head on the next boat, and just surprise them then? But there was still a matter of finding a place to stay. She'd heard about how daemons prowled the roads at night, and from what she'd heard she didn't want to risk running into one just yet. And since it wouldn't take long to get there, she needed to find some place else to stay for a while. Somewhere she wouldn't run into the guys and spoil the surprise.

She groaned, she forgot that she had no gil. Not only did she need a place to stay, she'd need to find a way to get food while she was out. She cursed herself for not planning this out better. There had to be some way she could earn money.

As if by luck, she managed to remember a poster she'd seen back near the docks. Something about Kenny Crow and hunting? Maybe that was the key! She could do a couple of hunts in the area, preferably ones that didn't appear at night, and earn herself some cash to stay somewhere! But she'd have to leave Galdin before it got dark out, guess it was back to hitchhiking. Plus this way she could keep her fighting skills sharp. Being a member of the Crownsguard wasn't easy work after all.

With a plan in her head, she stood up from the table and headed towards the counter, if she was gonna get some hunting done before nightfall, she better get started now before it got late. "Hey, what are the local bounties in this area?" she asked.

The young woman behind the counter handed her some flyers, each one with the visage of some nasty creature. Surely there was one among them that she could handle. Her eyes darted around each one, taking in the details and ruling out the ones she didn't need. Finally, she found one that seemed right up her alley. Some kind of crab-like creatures it seemed. And it paid a decent amount as well. "I'll take this one." she said, holding up the poster and showing it off. The woman smiled and wished her luck. Well, the hunt wasn't going to take care of itself, so she was off.

As she walked down the pier back to the shore, she quickly looked around to see if anyone was nearby. The coast was clear, lucky for her, so she pulled down the wristband she wore on her left arm and looked at the marking on her wrist. It was a chocobo feather, at least it looked like one to her, and she'd had it as long as she could remember. Her father had told her it was her soulmate marking, and that somewhere there was a person with the same marking on their right arm. Katia would be lying if she said she hadn't hoped about finding a soulmate, but she'd never seen anyone with the same mark and she couldn't let it be seen so easily. But the mark itself gave her comfort, she'd stare at it with her brown eyes and stroke it with her fingers. It made her feel warm and strangely gave her a confidence boost. She never questioned it though, she just let it do the trick, hoping that her soulmate was a good person.

She quickly put the wristband back on, hoping that no one saw anything, and ran down the pier to begin her first hunt.

\---------------------------------

"So are you just gonna keep staring at your phone until it dies or what?"

Prompto nearly jumped out of his skin at the sudden sound of Gladio's voice behind him. He'd been so lost in thought that he hadn't realized the muscular man was standing behind him. He scrambled to put away his phone as Gladio laughed at his antics. "Could you not scare me like that?" he asked, trying to hide the crack in his voice.

"It's hard not to when you space out like that," Gladio said, calming down his laughter. "So what's got you so mesmerized anyway? Waiting for a call from Cindy?"

"I doubt it," Noctis piped up. "If I know Prompto, he's still looking at that text he got from Kat yesterday." The prince smirked, as if he knew something no one else did. Prompto hated it when he did that, but he was right.

After telling him she wouldn't be able to see them off, and the disappointment had set in, he'd gotten another one from her asking to let her know when they'd made it to Altissia and to send photos. He'd told her it wouldn't be a problem, and hadn't heard a word from her since. It'd been a day now, the four of them having made it to Hammerhead and getting the car fixed up by Cid, and she hadn't said anything to him since then. It was strange that she was so quiet, she'd usually send him at least one message a day to see how he was doing, but the lack of communication was starting to worry him.

"So what if I am?" he asked. "Aren't I allowed to miss my other best friend, Noct?"

"You are, but the amount of times you've stared at your phone since the car got fixed is a little strange if you ask me." Noctis said, that smirk never leaving his face.

"I just wish she'd been there to see us off," Prompto admitted. "I mean, I've barely seen her these days, it would've been nice for her to be there when we left."

"She said she was preoccupied, there's nothing more that could be done," Ignis finally joined in. "I'm certain that Katia wanted to be there."

"Knowing her, she'd probably have begged to come with us," Noctis said. "She sounded excited about the wedding after all."

The idea popped into Prompto's head. Katia being there with them sounded even better. Having someone like her around would've made this trip even more fun. Though he wasn't sure if she'd be able to deal with the battles they'd gotten in recently. The Dualhorn they'd fought that morning hadn't been easy after all. Would she be able to have kept up with all of them? He didn't want to think about something like that. "You got that right." he said, trying to keep up his cheery facade. No reason for the others to know just how much he was missing her, something that he didn't even really understand. They were just best friends, so why did he feel so sad about all this?

"Besides, you got enough girl problems anyway. What with Cindy and all." Gladio said. Prompto looked away. The female mechanic of Hammerhead was certainly a sight to behold. She was beautiful, smart, just the kind of woman Prompto would want to be with. She didn't have the same mark as him, but he didn't care. But as much as he wanted to go after her, his self-doubts and fears got to him again. Cindy probably didn't want a guy like him, she was probably out of his league. And then there was the small pain he felt in his heart. He didn't get it, he thought falling in love would feel good, not painful. Maybe he had more to learn about love than he thought.

"It will take us some time before we arrive at Galdin Quay," Ignis said, changing the topic. "And it'll be dark soon. I suggest we stay at this motel for the night, so we may avoid any daemons that may be prowling about."

"Well, it's up to Noct." Gladio said, nudging the prince's arm with his elbow.

As the other three discussed what their next move was, Prompto felt a slight pain in his arm. It wasn't anything serious, but it was easily noticeable since nothing had caused this. He'd been feeling these minor mystery pains since yesterday. He tried to hide it, but to no luck as Ignis noticed him grab his arm. "Another mysterious pain in your arm, Prompto?" he asked.

"Yeah, it's another one." he sighed.

"It would seem your soulmate, whoever they are, has been rather reckless lately. Though considering the scuffles we got into yesterday and this morning, I'm sure that they're feeling the same way."

"What makes you so sure it's my soulmate bond?" Prompto asked.

Ignis pushed his glasses back up. "I'm no stranger to these pains myself, you know," he explained. "And considering neither you or I have wounds where these pricks of pain are, it could only be our soulmates getting into some kind of dangerous behavior."

"So it's settled then, we're staying here at the motel?" Gladio asked.

"No doubt about it," Noctis said. "If for no other reason than to keep Prompto from complaining about all the pain his soulmate seems to be putting him through." The smirk had returned.

"Cut it out, Noct!" Prompto said. Though he wouldn't mind staying in a nice warm bed tonight, he didn't want to feel like he was a burden. Without another word, he walked over to The Crow's Nest, his thoughts felt like they were all over the place and he needed a bite to eat.

The others followed him, deciding getting some food was a good idea. Noctis stayed in the back, the smirk gone as he sighed. Just what was that girl getting into? He hoped it was nothing too serious. He had enough on his hands as it was. Plus she had her reasons for doing whatever it was. He just hoped it wasn't going to kill her in the process. The last thing he needed was Prompto going through something like that.


	3. Chapter 2: Thinking of You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All aboard the angst train! First stop: the fall of Insomnia!

"Hey Noct, do we have any cash we can spare?" Prompto asked, standing by the small store in Galdin Quay. The group of four had recently arrived after a long drive and the photographer had practically ran over to the shop, looking over all the things he could find.

"I think we got some leftover gil from the recent hunts, why?" Noctis asked.

Prompto turned away from the store, a sheepish smile on his face. "Well, I've been thinking about what you said yesterday, about how Kat would've wanted to come with us," he started. "And I thought it wasn't fair, you know? So I figured I'd pick up some souvenirs and stuff so she didn't feel left out. Nothing expensive, just a little something to show that we thought about her."

Noctis' all-knowing smirk returned. "You mean to show that _you_ cared, right?" he asked.

"Shut up, she's your friend too, you know." Prompto said.

Noctis walked over to the store, looking at the various trinkets for sale. "So what were you planning on getting her?"

Prompto scanned everything, thinking of what she'd like. "Ooo, how about this?" He picked up a bracelet that had small purple flowers in-between the wooden beads. "It's only 400 gil."

"You sure she'd like that? I don't recall Katia being the kind of person who wears jewelry." Noctis said.

Prompto scoffed. "I think I know her well enough to figure out what kind of gift she'd like," he said. "And this baby is perfect for her, I just know it. She'd think it's great!"

"If you say so," Noctis said. "We should have enough for it. Just don't tell Ignis or he might lecture you on spending habits or something." He handed the gil over to Prompto, who purchased the bracelet and happily put it in his pocket. The thought of giving the gift to Katia brought a smile to his face. Surely she'd be thankful for it, he could already see the smile on her face.

As they stepped away from the store, his happy thoughts were interrupted by another strange pain in his right shoulder. Just what was his soulmate doing to get hurt this often, and why was it only happening now? He'd never felt these pains before. Whoever they were, he just hoped they weren't in too much danger.

"Soulmate bond again?" Noctis asked, seeing his best friend clutch his shoulder.

Prompto nodded his head and let out a sigh. "How can other people deal with this, Noct? It was bad enough when I'd feel the headaches, but now it's like they're getting hurt every two hours!"

Noctis shrugged his shoulders. "I wouldn't really know. I don't experience those pains like you and Ignis do."

"I just wish they weren't getting so banged up, they know I feel that stuff too, right?"

"I'm sure she does, remember that you're not one to talk here."

Prompto was about to retort when he noticed something peculiar in his words. "Wait, she? What makes you so sure they're a girl?"

"Princely intuition?" Noctis joked. "I just got a good feeling is all."

"Suuuuure you do," Prompto said, unconvinced as he rolled his eyes. Sometimes Noctis would just act so strangely. "Let's just get on that boat to Altissia, Gladio and Ignis are probably waiting for us."

\-----------------------------

"Augh, my shoulder's killing me. Guess a good night's rest wasn't the cure for that one. I'll pick up some potions before I go." Katia spoke to herself as she sat in the caravan. It had been a few days since she'd started hunting, and already she felt like she was getting the hang of it. Sure, she still got banged up every now and then, but she couldn't be perfect at fighting creatures she'd never faced before. And the recent phantom pains from her soulmate bond didn't help much either. Thankfully, she'd managed to gather up a good amount of gil and could stay just about anywhere.

She was currently in the region of Duscae, Liede had just gotten too bland for her and she needed a change of scenery. She was lucky she'd found a driver yesterday before it got dark. All she could do now was wait to hear back from the guys so she could make her way to Altissia. Surely they'd make it there soon. And if nothing else, there was a chocobo ranch not too far from the outpost that she could waste some time at. But for now, she needed to get something to eat. "Alright, time for some breakfast!" She pumped her fist in the air, ready to start her day off right.

She stepped out only to be greeted by rain. Just what she wanted to deal with. Hopefully it'd pass soon, hunting in the rain did not sound like a good way to spend her day. As she made her way towards the Crow's Nest, she saw a gathering of people by the store, their faces flooded with shock. Did something happen? Curious, she walked over to where they stood, finding that everyone was holding a newspaper. Before she could ask anything, she heard the murmurs of two women.

"Is this real? Did the Empire really do such a thing?"

"It has to be real, it's right here in the paper!"

"I know but, this just seems unreal. I mean, there was supposed to be a peace treaty."

"Just goes to show that you can't trust Niffs."

"I just hope the prince is alright."

"I doubt it. With Insomnia fallen, I'm sure his death will be reported at any moment."

Katia's heart nearly stopped. Insomnia had fallen? Her home was gone? No, it couldn't be! She grabbed the first paper she could get her hands on, reading the front page article over and over again in the hopes that it was wrong. But every time she read it, she just saw the same thing.

Niflheim attacked Insomnia. King Regis was dead. Insomnia had definitely fallen.

Panic set through her, any thoughts of food forgotten. What happened to her friends and family? She ran back inside the caravan, pulling her phone out of her pocket and dialing the first number she thought of: her father.

She waited and waited as the phone rang, begging to the Astrals that her assumption was wrong and that her only family was okay. It went to voicemail with no answer. Katia wasn't about to give up though. Maybe he just couldn't hear his phone or was busy somehow, yeah, that had to be it. But as much as she tried to reassure herself, the anxiety got stronger as the tears started to slip down her face. Over and over again it went to voicemail. She even tried dialing the number herself just to be absolutely certain it was the right one. After seven tries, she gave up. He wasn't going to answer. He would never answer.

She hit her hand against the table in frustration and sadness. "Six, why?" she muttered, trying to hold back the sobs that desperately tried to escape her throat.

Her thoughts then headed to Noctis and the others. Prompto had told her they were leaving the city a few days ago, but she hadn't heard anything from him since then. It couldn't be that they were... Fear coursing through her veins and one last hope in her heart, she frantically dialed Prompto's number. There's no way she could just text him at a time like this. But to her dismay, all she got was a busy signal.

Katia tried to reassure herself, the phone was just busy, it wasn't like he was dead. She'd just have to wait and try again. But then she switched to the radio. "Moreover, in the wake of the news of King Regis' death, we've now received word that Crown Prince Noctis and the Oracle Lunafreya have also been pronounced dead."

No. No, that couldn't be true. If Noctis was dead than what about the others? What about Prompto?

Unable to hold back any longer, she shut off her phone and fell onto the bed, letting her tears fall freely and her sobs escape into the sheets. This wasn't happening, this couldn't be real! Her entire world couldn't possibly be crashing down on her like this! Her family dead, her best friends pronounced dead, her home gone. What would she do with her life? Where could she go? Was anyone she knew alive? Forget going to Altissia, there'd be no one there waiting for her. All she wanted was to believe the reports weren't true, but there was no way she could prove it for herself. She stupidly never had Noct's number, she'd always thought if she needed to talk to him she could just get a hold of Prompto.

Prompto...

Her hysterical state of mind pushed out all rational thoughts concerning his well being. If Noct was dead, then he would be too, right? It's the only thing that made sense in her anxiety-filled state. She didn't even want to believe that he was dead, but no solace could come to her.

As her thoughts kept turning to the worse, she felt her wrist get warm. Confused, she tried to stop crying as she took the wristband off and stared at the chocobo feather. She didn't understand, why did it feel so warm all of a sudden? It wasn't like the usual warmth either, it felt intense, like it was trying to tell her something. She touched the mark, hoping to understand why this was happening, but nothing seemed to change. But doing so seemed to put hope back in her heart. "Prom's alive..." she whispered to herself, the idea set in her heart and refusing to leave. Her heart just kept beating, filling her with the assurance that Prompto must be alive.

But why did she feel this way suddenly? Was it the mark? None of this made any sense. The thought that he was alive definitely made her feel better, helped her calm down a bit, and even gave her hope that Noctis and the others were alive too. The thought was the only thing she could hold on to at the moment, so she grasped it even if it was just some kind of foolish optimism trying to keep her going. She was probably wrong, but she just didn't want to believe it. She looked outside, the rain still falling on Eos.

"Prom, please be okay..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will not be angsty and will finally get these two back with each other! Then the real fun can begin!


	4. Chapter 3: Reunion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's have some happy stuff to counteract the last chapter's angst, shall we?

"Hey, this is Katia! Sorry I couldn't make it to the phone, but-"

Prompto hung up. He knew the voicemail message wouldn't change, no matter how many times he called it. He just wished he could get a hold of her.

Ever since Insomnia had fallen a week ago, he'd desperately been trying to get a hold of her with no luck. Every time he called it had gone straight to voicemail without ringing. Most people would've given up by this point, assuming that the person they were trying to reach wasn't going to answer, but something in Prompto was telling him otherwise. Somehow he knew she was alive, maybe he just didn't want to believe one of the few good things in his life was gone. But her phone had to be off for a reason, and he'd call every day if he had to.

Knowing he wasn't going to have such luck today, he put his phone away and watched as they drove into Duscae. He tried to listen as Ignis described the region, managing to perk up at the mention of the chocobo forest, but his thoughts kept slipping back to Katia. He wondered if she was in Lestallum with Iris, that would be the safest place for her after all. Did she get hurt trying to get out? That was a good explanation for why her phone was off, but the thought made him reel back in fear.

He looked at the side of the road, a sign catching his eye. Wiz's Chocobo Post, just down the turn. Of course he wanted to go visit the birds, spending some time around them was sure to put him at ease, but something else was drawing him to the location. Something was waiting for him there, he could feel it. He had to go there as soon as possible.

Ignis pulled the car into the gas station, letting everyone get out. Prompto drowned out the conversation around him, only catching bits and pieces, his chest filled with a warmth he hadn't felt in a long time. He pulled Noctis over to the side, excitement flooding through him at the thought of what waited for him. "Did you see that sign? Chocobos! ...CHOCOBOS!" he shouted, practically jumping on the spot.

"No time for that. Need to get to Lestallum." Gladio said. Prompto couldn't blame him for making that his priority, his sister was there and waiting for him. But this couldn't wait, he needed to go to Wiz's.

"It's still ages away. C'mon, just a quick visit?" he asked. Surely Noct would understand. "It's not just the chocobos, I feel like I have to go there, like I'm being drawn toward it. There's something important there, Noct. I can feel it."

Noctis stood there in thought, contemplating his options. Prompto wished he could know what was going on in his head. He smiled, probably the first genuine smile he'd seen in a week. "Sure, let's check it out. Gotta be a reason you need to get there so badly." he said. The verdict was set.

"Yes! Gonna be awesome!" Prompto said with a small fistpump. He knew his best friend wouldn't let him down. Once they refueled and picked up more supplies, it was off to the chocobos. He was so excited he didn't even notice the warmth coming from his wrist.

\----------------------------------

Katia sighed as she stared at the food in front of her. Despite the fact that it had been nearly a week since she'd heard the news of Insomnia's fall, she found herself barely hungry even now. She thought coming to the chocobo post would help distract her, and it did to some extent, but being unable to ride the adorable birds due to a behemoth made it hard to do too much around here. She'd probably leave the area in a day or two, but she had no idea how far she'd get anywhere by walking. She'd been lucky to make it just by walking before the sun set.

Figuring that she'd try eating in a bit, she grabbed the bag she'd been dragging along with her since the trip began and looked through what little she now had left. Obviously she hadn't brought much, as she'd been packing for a trip to Altissia, but the fact that this was all she had left from home disheartened her. She'd only brought a couple changes of clothes, some toiletries, medications, some handheld games, her sketchbook and pencils, some small knick-knacks, and a chocobo plushie she'd had since high school. Katia wasn't a materialistic person, but the lack of things she had just reminded her of her newfound situation. She tried to ignore those thoughts, she came here to relax and that was what she was gonna do.

She pulled out the sketchbook and a pencil, maybe some drawing could take her mind off of things. She flipped through the pages, trying to find one she hadn't used as the sound of a car parking caught her attention. She wasn't sure why it did, it wasn't the first car she'd heard since she came here, but she shrugged if off as she tried to work. Drawing a chocobo seemed like a good plan, she had the perfect models nearby after all. As she began sketching, she faintly heard the people from the car talking amongst themselves. They sounded almost familiar to her, but thought that it was just her head jumping to conclusions so she tried to ignore them. But the closer their voices got, the harder it was for her to focus. She gave up on sketching and decided to look over at who these people were, only for her heart to stop.

It was a group of four men, a group that Katia knew all too well. None of them had noticed her yet, too busy talking to each other. She wasn't even paying attention to what they were talking about, too lost in the relief she felt at seeing them. Noctis, Ignis, Gladio, Prompto, they were alive. She quickly put her things away and stood up from the table. She had to go over to them, say something to them, but her feet were frozen where she stood. All she could do was utter a single word.

"...Prom?"

Prompto froze, the sound of a familiar voice piercing through the air. He thought it wasn't real, that his mind was playing tricks on him somehow, but as he turned to the source and saw the brunette standing there and staring at him he knew it was real. It was Katia.

"...Kat?" he managed to say as his emotions overwhelmed him.

The other three turned to where he was looking, seeing the young woman standing there. Noctis stepped forward, knowing that neither of his best friends were going to do anything. Even though he'd been dealing with his own issues, he knew better than anyone that Prompto had been worried over Katia's safety, he just felt that as usual he needed to push them in the right direction. "Katia, you're alright!" he said with a smile.

Katia blinked, almost as if she'd been in a trance, before turning to Noctis and smiling herself. "I should be the one saying that!" she said, walking over to Noct and lightly punching him in the shoulder. "I heard the news report, you've been reported dead! I've been so worried about you guys, you don't even know!"

"Yes, we're quite aware of that," Ignis said. "And since Noct is supposed to be dead, we'd prefer it if you weren't shouting it out for everyone to hear."

"Can you really blame her though?" Prompto spoke up, a seriousness in his words. "I'd be just as worried if it was her name being broadcast across the whole world."

"Hold on a second, just how is it that you got here anyway?" Gladio asked. "I thought the refugees were in Lestallum."

Katia sighed, there was no point in hiding anything at this point. "I wasn't in Insomnia when everything happened. I left the city early because I was trying to surprise you guys in Altissia," she explained. "I couldn't get a boat though, so I had to travel around and get some money. I was at the outpost not too far from here when word hit of Insomnia falling and the King's death. I came here a few days ago to try and get my mind off of things, I didn't expect you guys to be here."

"Does it matter? We're okay, you're okay, everyone's okay!" Prompto smiled, glad to know that she'd gotten out when she did. The urge to hug her passed though his mind, but he ignored it. That probably wasn't the right thing to do at the moment. He knew Katia well enough, and she was dealing with more than she was letting on. She needed a distraction, and she needed her best friend to make her feel better. Without thinking, he grabbed hold of her hand. "And since you wanna get your mind off things, what better way to do it than with chocobo riding? Come on Kat, let's go!" Before she could agree or disagree, he pulled her over to the chocobos, the guys following behind them.

"Wait, Prom, the chocobos aren't-" she tried to say, but the words were drowned out by Prompto's excitement. Better to let him find out on his own.

He stopped in front of Wiz, the owner of the chocobo post, still holding Katia's hand. "'Scuse me. We'd like to ride the chocobos." he said.

"The chocobos, huh?" Wiz said, gearing up for the bad news. "I hate to break this to ya'll, but we can't permit our birds to leave the post. Not while Deadeye's still about. He's an uncommonly ferocious behemoth that's taken to prowlin' these parts of late. His scent makes our birds nervous, an' to prevent accidents an' tragedies, we have no choice but to suspend rentals." As he spoke, the smile on Prompto's face turned into a frown.

"What he said," Katia spoke up. "I got here a few days ago hoping I could ride them only to be told the bad news. I'd have gone after Deadeye myself, but I don't think just one person could get rid of that thing."

"You? Going after a behemoth?" Noctis questioned.

Oh right, she still hadn't told them about that. Katia let go of Prompto's hand, releasing herself from the warmth she felt, and stepped back a bit. "Well yeah, I've been doing hunts this whole time. How else was I gonna keep busy out here? After all," She held out her hand as a lance materialized into her grasp. "I'm a member of the Crownsguard."

"I didn't know you were part of the Crownsguard." Prompto said, shocked by the revelation but more sad than anything. How come she hadn't told them about this? They told each other everything.

Katia looked at her feet as the lance vanished. "Sorry Prom, I wanted it to be a surprise. I've just been busy with my training," Katia apologized. "Plus I wanted to show that I was good enough to fight, I thought that you'd be impressed by my efforts."

"You know, she is pretty decent with that lance," Gladio stepped in. "I helped with her training, and she took to that thing quickly. She made me keep my mouth shut because she really wanted to tell you two herself."

"In that case, why not put those skills to the test?" Ignis asked, causing both Prompto and Katia to look up at him. "We've been hunting ourselves, but this Deadeye sounds like a difficult challenge even for the four of us. Having a fifth person would strengthen our chances of taking out the beast."

"Sounds like a good idea to me." Noctis said with his all-knowing smirk.

Katia smiled. "Sure, if you guys really want me to come with. I don't have anything better to do after all."

"I got a better idea!" Prompto suddenly spoke. "Kat, what exactly are your plans once you're done here?"

Katia shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know," she admitted, looking to the side. "I don't really have anywhere to go, and I can't really hitchhike anymore what with all the refugees. I was kinda hoping to figure things out while I'm here." Once again, she was hiding something. Prompto didn't know what, but surely he could get her to tell him at some point. But this was perfect, he just hoped the others wouldn't mind.

"Then why not come with us?" he asked. "I bet you're an amazing fighter, and you don't really have anywhere else to go, it'd be great if you joined us!"

Katia didn't say anything. She didn't expect him to just straight up ask her to come with them like that. But something about him asking made her chest feel light, she felt happier than she had since she left Insomnia. "I mean, well, I guess I could come. That is if the guys don't mind me coming along?" she said, looking over at the other three to see what their thoughts were.

"You know I don't mind you hanging around." Noctis said, still smirking.

"I wouldn't mind seeing just how good you are out in the field." Gladio replied.

Ignis sighed, rubbing some kind of kink out of his shoulder. "You best not be as picky an eater as Noct."

"Relax Iggy, I've had your food before. Wouldn't miss it for the world." Katia said, genuinely smiling for the first time since the fall.

"So it's settled then! Kat's coming with us!" Prompto said. "I guess we should tell you what exactly we're doing though, since you've been out of the loop."

Katia laughed. "I would like to know what's been going on since you guys left. You can tell me on the way though, that Deadeye isn't gonna get his ass kicked by himself now is he?"

"Same old Kat. Alright then, let's get going." Noctis said. The group of five headed out, ready to face the behemoth straight on.

"Oh! I almost forgot!" Prompto said. He dove into his pocket and pulled out the bracelet from Galdin, handing it to Katia. "I got this for you back in Galdin Quay. I thought I'd get you some stuff from our trip, but now I don't have to."

Katia looked at the bracelet. She saw it back when she was in Galdin, but lacked the money to purchase it herself. By the time she'd remembered about it, she'd already left and had no way of heading back. "Thanks Prom, I love it," she said. She placed it on her right wrist without hesitation, not caring if she looked unprofessional. "Now tell me everything that happened, I don't want to miss a thing."

Prompto grinned, his chest feeling lighter than air. "You got it! So it all started when the car broke down in the middle of nowhere..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was gonna write the Deadeye fight, but I'm probably gonna skip it. I'm not good with action scenes and this felt like it was getting long enough as is.


	5. Chapter 4: Camping

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is mostly cute filler, but I needed to better establish these dorks and their bond with each other.

"...And then we took out the blockade before they could even set it up!"

"Well damn, I didn't think you guys had gotten into this much trouble already without me around to watch you. Still though, sounds like you guys got a lot to deal with, having to find these royal arms things and all."

"But with you around, I'm sure it'll be way easier. I mean, you were amazing fighting Deadeye! Gladio wasn't kidding when he said you were good with that lance."

"Hey, you were pretty good out there too. Don't go selling yourself short. Though I'm not surprised you're such a sharpshooter with all those shooting games you used to play back in high school."

"I don't think kicking Noct's butt in video games says anything about how good I am in battle."

Prompto and Katia laughed, the two of them sitting by the campfire as they waited for Ignis to finish cooking. The battle against Deadeye had gone easier than expected with the five of them taking it on all at once, but the sun had began setting and there was no time for them to start travelling to Lestallum. So the group decided to set up camp nearby and make their way for Lestallum in the morning after collecting the bounty.

Gladio and Noctis looked over at the two friends, still laughing about something they could only guess. "So are they always like this?" Gladio asked.

"Pretty much," Noctis said. "I don't know how they do it, but they can go on about something for hours, or at least what feels like hours."

The two were now looking at Prompto's camera, his pictures of the journey thus far being showcased. "Wow Prom, these are some really good shots!" Katia said as she looked at each new picture. "I swear, you could be a professional someday with photos like these."

"You're exaggerating. I'm not that good." Prompto laughed nervously from the compliment.

Katia shook her head. "Nope, I'm serious. You've got an eye for a good shot. Once this is all over, you should head back home and-" She stopped talking, the realization of what she was saying dawning on her. "N...Never mind..."

Prompto took notice to the change in her tone as she looked down at her hands. He put away the camera and rested a hand on her shoulder. "You mind telling me what's bothering you?" he asked. "There's no reason to hide it, I can tell something's been on your mind since we were at Wiz's."

Katia looked up at him. There was never any use in trying to hide something from Prompto. He seemed to have this second sense that told him when she was feeling down, and every time he'd be by her side to ask if she wanted to talk about what was getting to her. She let out a sigh, figuring that she should just get it over with. "You know how you get so used to something that you think things aren't ever gonna change? Like this person is always gonna be around or something?"

"I think so." Prompto answered. He already had an idea of where this conversation was heading and he didn't like it.

Katia looked down at her feet, squeezing her left arm just slightly. "I've lived in Insomnia for as long as I can remember, and even with this war heading in the direction it was I never thought that anything would ever happen to it," She felt a shiver through her spine as a stray tear escaped from her eye. "But then I heard the news. And it hit me that I have no where to go now. My home is gone, all I have left are the things I brought with me, and my dad..." She couldn't go on. She knew if she kept talking that she'd start crying, that was the last thing she wanted right now.

Prompto moved closer to her, not even thinking of what he was doing, and held her left hand in his own. It was something he did whenever he noticed Katia was getting upset, for reasons neither of them could explain it made them both feel better. "I'm sorry Kat, your dad was a great guy." he said, not entirely sure if he was actually comforting her or not.

Katia took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. "And then there's the others," She looked up over at Noctis and Gladio, who were busy on their phones. "I mean, I know I'm not the only one who lost people. Noct's dad's death was all over the news, and from the sound of it he hadn't taken things well either."

Prompto felt his hand be squeezed. "But the worst feeling for me was hearing Noct's name on the radio, because I got worried about all of you. You wouldn't believe just how relieved I was seeing you all walk up to the ranch earlier. I don't know what I'd have done if I'd lost both of my best friends too.

"But even though I still have you guys, I don't know what'll happen once this is all over. I don't have any other family, and I don't know where I'm gonna go once our journey's done. I'm scared, Prom. I never thought about what to do in a situation like this because I never thought it'd happen."

"Just don't think about it right now," Katia looked at Prompto, who was giving her a sad smile. "We've got a lot to do, you know? We don't have to think about stuff like what we'll do after this because it's a far ways away. Just try to worry about what's happening right now, okay? Besides, you think your dad would want you fretting about all this? You've still got me and Noct, and we'll help you figure stuff out once this mess is all done with. And I'm sure Ignis and Gladio would be willing to help too. Now cheer up, I think the food's ready and I don't want to see you eating with a sad look on your face, okay?"

Katia blinked, taking everything he said in before managing a small laugh. "You're right. I shouldn't be moping around at a time like this. Especially since I'm starving."

"Alright, wait here while I go get our food." Prompto stood up and went over to where Ignis had set up his little kitchen. Katia just looked at the roaring fire lost in thought. Prompto never failed to put a smile back on her face. It was like he knew just what she needed to hear. How did he manage to do that every time? "I'm back!" Prompto sat down where he was, holding a plate with two portions of food sitting on it. "Ignis said we had to share a plate since we didn't pack for five people. Once we make it to Lestallum he plans on getting more. Hope you don't mind."

"Hey, it's cool. I know I'm not exactly an expected guest on this trip. If that makes any sense, that is."

"Nah, I get what you mean. Now let's dig in!"

Once again, Gladio and Noctis just sat and watched the two of them, with Ignis now joining them. "Are they aware of how they look right now?" Ignis asked.

"Nope, they don't." Noctis said with that knowing smirk once again.

"Should we tell them or..." Gladio asked.

"Nah, they're just gonna deny it. Let 'em figure it out on their own. They're bound to figure it out eventually." Noctis said.

"...500 gil says they don't." Gladio said.

"Alright, I'll take that bet. Hope you're ready to lose it."

\-------------------------------

"Oh Six, that food was good!" Katia said, rubbing her stomach in satisfaction. She hadn't had something that good in what felt like ages. "My compliments to the chef!"

Ignis smiled, his usual stoic face breaking for once. "Thank you Katia, it's nice to know that there's one person here who appreciates my hard work." he said, taking the dishes to wash them.

"Oh come on Specs, you know I wouldn't survive without your cooking." Noctis said, slightly offended by the comment.

"And yet you left half of your meal untouched," Ignis stated, holding up a plate covered with vegetables. "I don't slave over a hot stove just to let my food be pushed around the plate, Noct."

Noctis looked away, no response coming to mind. The others couldn't help but laugh. Noctis would never change. As the laughter started to die down, Katia's laugh morphed into a loud yawn. Guess she was more worn out than she thought. "You alright?" Prompto asked.

"Yeah, just getting sleepy," she said. "Think I'm gonna have to head in for the night." She stood up, beginning to make her way towards the tent.

"Hold on a second Katia," Ignis interrupted her. "Would I be correct in assuming that you did not bring a sleeping bag with you?" Katia nodded. She hadn't been planning on doing any camping after all. She was about to ask why it mattered when it caught up to her.

There were only four sleeping bags, but five people.

"Crap, what are we gonna do?" she asked.

"I have an idea," Noctis spoke up. "Kat can share with Prompto. He's the smallest out of the four of us, so she can fit in his sleeping bag and both of them can have room."

"W-What?!" Prompto shouted. "Noct, you're not serious, are you?"

"It's alright, Prom. I'm cool with sharing," Katia said. "Besides, I trust you not to do anything weird. And it'd feel awkward with anyone else."

"I can make sure another sleeping bag is on our essentials list when we get to Lestallum," Ignis said. "So it's merely a temporary situation for the time being."

"No, it's fine. I-I was just worried about what Kat thought about it," Prompto explained. "If she's cool with it, than so am I."

"Then it's settled. You two can get all cozy together." Gladio said.

"It's not like that. We're just friends," Katia insisted. Though the idea did pass her mind for a brief moment before she shook it out. "Anyway, I'm gonna head to bed. Good night, guys."

"I guess I should go too, you don't know which one is mine and it'd be better if we got in at the same time." Prompto said, walking to the tent with her.

"Hey, you don't gotta justify it to me. I get what you mean." Katia said.

The two walked into the tent, leaving the other three outside to talk. Prompto lead Katia to a yellow sleeping bag on the far left side, indicating that it was where they'd be sleeping. As he took off his vest, he noticed she'd started rummaging through her bag. "What'cha grabbing there?" he asked.

Katia jumped from the sudden question. "Um, don't laugh, okay?" she asked.

"Alright, I won't laugh," Katia turned around, holding a chocobo plushie close to her chest. He didn't laugh, but Prompto was certainly shocked. "Is that what I think it is?" he asked.

Katia nodded. "Yeah, it's the same one you're thinking of."

Prompto remembered that plushie far too well. It'd been one of the first trips to the arcade he and Noctis had taken her on. She noticed the claw game filled with chocobo plushies and was clearly interested in getting one, but she had no luck in actually winning. She'd given up and gone to play something else while he and Noct stayed back as he tried to win it. It took a lot of the cash he'd brought with him, but he was successful and happily presented the plushie to her. She'd looked so surprised that he went and got it for her, but he'd insisted that it's what friends do for each other.

"I didn't think you still had it." Prompto said.

Katia sighed. "I know this is gonna sound silly, but this little guy helps me sleep better at night," she explained. "I don't know why, but he just comforts me. So I sleep with him every night. Besides, you went to such huge lengths to win him for me, it'd be really rude if I just got rid of him."

He wouldn't admit it then, but the way she kept calling the plushie a boy was kind of cute. And hearing her say that she wouldn't get rid of it like that made Prompto feel happy. He never realized she liked it that much. "You don't gotta be ashamed of that," he said. "If he helps you sleep, he helps you sleep. I ain't gonna judge after all."

Katia laughed nervously. "I guess you're right. You're not the kind of guy who'd make fun of that sort of thing."

"So do you got a name for 'im?"

"No, I've tried to think of one but nothing good comes to me."

"Alright then, I'll help you name him then!"

"P-Prom, you don't have to do that."

"Too late, I've already decided! How about......Squeaky!"

"But Chocobos don't even squeak."

"So? He looks like a Squeaky to me."

"You say that like you've named plushies before."

"Maybe I have. I'm full of surprises, you know."

"Sure you are, Prom. ...You know what, Squeaky sounds like a good name. I think that's what he'll be called."

"See? I knew you'd love it."

The two laughed as they crawled into the sleeping bag, both of them having enough room just like Noct said. This certainly wasn't the kind of experience Katia had prepared for, camping wasn't something she thought about doing. But things could be worse she guessed. At least she was with friends.

"Hey Kat," Prompto's voice broke through the silence. "I'm really happy you're here with us."

"Yeah, same here," Katia responded. She wasn't exactly sure what else to say right now, the situation felt kind of strange for her. She felt her eyes begin to droop as sleep overcame her, the newly-dubbed Squeaky being pressed against her chest. "Hey Prom?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for earlier," she said through a yawn. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Y-You're welcome." Prompto said. What was this feeling in his chest? He felt awkward, yet at the same time felt like the situation was right. He turned around to face Katia, only to see she'd already drifted off to sleep. He felt like a creep just staring at her like this, but he couldn't bring himself to look away. He smiled, moving a strand of her hair out from her face and turned back around so he could get some sleep as well.

"Sleep well, Kat."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter was supposed to be a few more pre-Lestallum things, but I'm not sure I can fit enough for a chapter and I'm not sure if I'm ready for Lestallum just yet. It might be a while before the next update happens so I can figure this out, just an FYI.


	6. Chapter 5: Unease

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know things seem a bit slow, but after this chapter the story will be moving forward at a faster pace, so just stick with me here!

"Hey Prompto, wake up."

The sound of Noctis' voice slowly broke Prompto from his slumber. He turned his head to look up at the prince, that smirk once again on his face. It was like that was the only expression he made now. Prompto didn't move, the sleeping bag feeling so warm and cozy that he didn't want to get out. "Noct? What're you doing up already? You usually sleep in." he muttered, still waking up.

"Guess I just woke up before you did this time," Noctis replied. "I see the two of you slept well."

Huh? What was that supposed to mean? "I guess so? What makes you say that?"

Noctis pointed down at the sleeping bag. "I'm surprised you didn't notice it yourself."

Now he wasn't making any sense. He turned his head back to where it was. "Noct, you're not making any sense, stop being so cryptic and-" Suddenly he saw just what he'd meant and felt as if his eyes would pop right out of his sockets.

He was now lying directly next to Katia, his arms wrapping around her from behind. She was still asleep, thankfully for him, letting out a content sigh. Prompto let go of her and quickly schooched back to the other end of the sleeping bag. When did he start doing that? How long had he been doing it for? Did Ignis and Gladio see anything? He could feel his face heating up and he heard Noctis try to hold back his laughter. "Shut up, Noct! It's not like that! I wasn't doing that when we'd gone to sleep!" he whispered, not wanting to wake Katia up.

"Hey man, I'm not judging," Noctis said. "If you want to get all cozy with Kat, we can get you two a seperate room at the next hotel."

Prompto had gotten out of the sleeping bag and lightly punched Noctis' arm. "I'm telling you, it's not like that! She's my best friend, she'd probably kill me if she knew I did that!"

"I dunno. She looked pretty content to me."

"Whatever, the others don't know, do they?"

"I don't think so. Ignis always wakes up early to make breakfast, and I think Gladio went to do training before the sun had risen. Ignis was telling me to wake you guys up, and I found you like that."

"Well don't tell them, and don't tell Kat either. The last thing I need is my friendship with her to be ruined, alright?"

"Alright, your secret's safe with me," Noctis said. He knew that Prompto was oblivious to this whole thing, but it was only a matter of how long that would last. "Anyway, hurry and wake Kat up. I'm sure she wouldn't want to miss out on more good food." He walked out of the tent, leaving the two to themselves.

Prompto sighed. Noct better not act like this for the whole trip. Besides, there was totally a logical explanation for why he ended up spooning Katia. He just needed to figure it out first. Figuring it wouldn't do good to keep the others waiting, he nudged Katia's shoulder to wake her up. "Hey Kat, time to get up. Breakfast is almost ready."

Katia groaned, she'd never been the type who liked being woken up but they had a schedule to keep. They'd taken too long getting to Lestallum as is. Katia's eyes slowly opened as she realized she wouldn't be able to go back to sleep. She sat up, Squeaky still in her arms as she rubbed her eyes. "Morning already?" she asked, still not fully awake.

"Yep, afraid so," Prompto joked. "You sleep well?"

"Ehhh, I've slept better but it wasn't the worst sleep I've ever had," Katia explained, getting out of the sleeping bag. "I don't think I'm cut out for camping."

"Neither am I." Prompto said, getting a laugh out of her.

"But I did feel really warm and comfy, oddly enough. At least until right before you woke me up," She placed Squeaky back into her bag. "I don't know how to describe it though, other than it felt nice. Never felt like that while sleeping before."

"Huh, weird." Prompto said, trying to avoid talking about it any further. Hopefully she wouldn't jump to conclusions and Noctis would keep his mouth shut like he promised.

"Anyway, you said breakfast was ready? In that case, let's go eat. It's nice not needing to get diner food for once." She stepped out of the tent, the thought of food the only thing on her mind now. Prompto let out a sigh of relief. There's no way she'd realize what happened. Everything was safe.

\-------------------------------

The five of them headed to the Regalia, the bounty for Deadeye received and their destination set. Katia felt lucky, she'd never riden in the car before and never expected to. But now she was going to be riding in style with her friends. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't excited. "So where should I sit?" she asked.

"There should be plenty of room in the back for you, Noct, and Gladio," Ignis explained. "Hopefully you don't mind the middle seat."

"Oh, no, it's fine." Katia said, hoping that she didn't sound too irritated. She certainly wasn't getting a comfortable ride, and it was gonna be a long one too.

"Hey Gladio, mind if we switch seats?" Prompto asked. The other guys looked at him in confusion.

"I guess so, but don't you prefer the front seat?" Gladio asked.

"Yeah, but I'm not about to let Kat get crushed by all your muscles," he tried to laugh, hoping Gladio would realize it was a joke. "Besides, I want to see what kind of pictures I can take from the backseat!"

Katia stayed quiet as they discussed this new seating arrangement. Once again, Prompto was coming to her rescue it seemed. Sure, she'd still be stuck in the middle seat, but at least now she didn't have to worry about Gladio pressing directly up against her.

"If that's been settled, let us be on our way. We're long overdue at Lestallum and Iris is waiting." Ignis said, getting in the driver's seat. Gladio took his new spot in the passenger's seat while the trio of best friends hopped in the back. Katia was surprised at how comfortable the seats were. Granted, it was a special car made for royalty, of course it'd be comfortable, but she felt like she could fall asleep in here which Noct already seemed primed to do by the looks of it.

As the car started, she felt Prompto's elbow brush against her arm. She turned to ask him what that was about as she was interrupted by the sound of a camera going off. He looked at the picture he just took, pouting when he saw how it turned out. "Aw man, you're not even smiling," he said. "Now I need to take a new one."

"You think you could warn me next time first?" Katia laughed, giving him a slight push.

"Oh, right, probably should've done that." Prompto nervously laughed.

"Just make sure you get my good side, alright?"

"I thought all your sides were your good ones though."

Katia laughed again, how was he so good at telling jokes? She smiled and made a peace sign, giving Prompto a better look for his picture. The camera clicked once again, and this time Prompto smiled at the photograph he'd taken. "So? How's it look?" Katia asked.

"Perfect."

\--------------------------------

The drive was amazing, Ignis had opted to take the scenic route and Katia was thankful for it. Riding in the Regalia was a different experience from all the trucks she'd hitchhiked in before. She could see everything, Duscae was breathtaking. It made her regret never leaving Insomnia before now, even if it was to keep her safe, but that was in the past now. As she saw the Disc of Cauthess, she couldn't help but stare. She'd never seen anything like it up close before, only in pictures and books. She wished she could draw it for herself, but there was no way that was happening in a moving car.

"Enjoying the view back there?" She turned away to see Gladio looking back at her. "You've been pretty quiet since you and Prompto stopped singing along to that song ten minutes ago."

"Oh, yeah, I guess I was so interested in the scenery that I spaced out or something," Katia admitted. "It's just so amazing, you know? Being able to see the world so clearly from here. You guys are so lucky to have this car."

"We're lucky that Cindy was able to fix it up for us. Otherwise we'd be walking the whole way." Gladio said.

"Cindy?" Katia asked, her head tilting to the side. "Who's Cindy?"

"The mechanic in Hammerhead who fixed up the Regallia," Ignis explained, not taking his eyes off the road. "She's rather skilled when it comes to cars."

"I thought Prompto told you about her." Gladio said.

"No, he didn't. Not really." Katia said. Prompto had only mentioned a great mechanic who'd worked on the car. He never mentioned her name or the fact that she was a woman. Not that her gender mattered all that much, but something about that made her feel uneasy and she didn't know why.

"Weird. He barely shuts up about her. I'd thought he'd yapped your ears off talking about her." Gladio said.

For some reason his words made the uneasiness worse. Why did she care so much about this, it's not like Prompto was only allowed to have one female friend in his life. Was it because he never said anything about her? It almost came off like he was trying to hide something.

As if he read her thoughts, Prompto finally spoke up. "Hey, I didn't think she'd want me going on and on about Cindy when there was more important stuff she needed to know," he explained. "I mean, she is pretty amazing, I wouldn't mind going back to Hammerhead to see her. Plus her and Kat haven't met yet, I bet you two would be great friends!"

His words did nothing to soothe the uneasiness she felt, in fact the dreamy tone only seemed to worsen it. The reasons made sense in her head, but for some reason Katia couldn't come to believe them. She wanted to, but something was holding her back. Why was she feeling like this?

"You okay there, Kat?" She must've been making a face, as Prompto sounded concerned. Katia tried to shake the thoughts out of her head. It was nothing she should be worrying so much about. Prompto wasn't the type to hide things from her and he had no reason to hide this. She smiled and looked back at him.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just started thinking too much, I guess," she said. She needed to stop wondering about this Cindy thing. She'd get herself worked up over nothing otherwise. She looked ahead, seeing a tunnel coming up. "Hey Iggy, we almost at Lestallum?" she asked, hoping the change in conversation would distract her.

"We need only to go through that tunnel and we'll be there," Ignis explained. "It should only be a few more minutes."

"Awesome, can't wait to see it!" Katia said. She tried to focus on Lestallum and meeting Iris, the excitement pushing away her negative thoughts. Yet as they drove into the tunnel leading into the town, she couldn't ignore the burning feeling in her wrist or make it stop. She grabbed her wrist, hoping that whatever this was would go away on its own.


	7. Chapter 6: Familiar Faces

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not too happy with this chapter but I did all I could with it. Sorry if it's long, I had a lot to get through since the last couple chapters have been kinda slow. But things are gonna get more exciting from here on out!

The sight of Lestallum amazed Katia. She'd never seen a place like it before. Sure, it wasn't as big as the Crown City, but compared to the sights she'd been seeing for nearly two weeks it certainly felt huge. "Wow!" she heard Prompto exclaim beside her. Turns out she wasn't the only one dazzled by the city.

"This place is pretty big." Noctis said, mirroring Katia's own thoughts.

"It sure feels that way at least." she said. She made a mental note to try and draw some stuff while she was here.

"Haven't enjoyed the city life in a while." Gladio pointed out. He wasn't wrong, the most civilization they'd encountered were outposts, Galdin, and the chocobo post. This was the first real city they'd seen since leaving Insomnia. No doubt most of them were thinking of ways they could spend their time here.

"They've even got a cable car!" Prompto shouted with excitement. Katia couldn't help but giggle, it was kinda cute when he got all excited about something.

"I think I saw an ice cream shop or something!" Katia said, her own excitement getting the best of her. Though considering how humid it felt here, ice cream was probably a good idea.

"Guess we'll have to stop by there at some point." Noctis said. The car was parked expertly, and the group stepped out. Just as Katia was preparing to step out, Prompto's hand was extended to her. He had a nervous smile that Katia met with a chuckle.

"And they say chivalry is dead." she joked, taking Prompto's hand and stepping out of the car. Once she was out, he bowed to her.

"I'm only behaving as any gentleman would." he said.

"Since when were you a gentleman?" Gladio laughed, lightly punching the smaller boy on the arm. "Enough fooling around, we gotta meet up with Iris."

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Katia said, rolling her eyes. She'd only heard them mention it at least twenty times now. "So where're we meeting up with her?"

The group began to walk into the city. "She's at the Leville, let's go. We can sight-see later." Gladio said.

As they made their way to the hotel, Katia's eyes just kept wandering. There was so much to see and probably so much to do. She couldn't help but overhear people talking about the heat, the Disc of Cauthess, even just mundane things like what people were going to do after work. It reminded her of Insomnia, and how a number of people here were refugees. Once again her thoughts began to wander. What if she hadn't left the city when she did? Would she have been brought here? Could she have saved her dad? Or would she have befell the same fate as him? So many potentials, but no answers. She took a deep breath, snapping herself out of those thoughts. At least she didn't have to worry about looking for anyone she knew here.

She felt something nudge her arm, and turned to once again find Prompto by her side. "You alright there, Kat? You had a weird look on your face?" he asked, keeping his voice down so the others wouldn't hear.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking about stuff." she said with a smile. No reason to worry Prompto when nothing was wrong.

"If you say so," he said. "So you ever met Iris before?"

"Sorta? I mean, she'd pop up sometimes when Gladio was helping me train for the Crownsguard, but I never really got to know her or anything. We've barely spoken to each other, but she seems nice. What about you?"

"Eh, pretty much the same. I know her, but not that well. She was always more interested in Noct anyway."

"Ohhhh, so she's got a crush on him? Gotta remember that for later, I need to tease him over this."

"You sure that's a good idea?"

"Oh come on, with how much he gets on our case for being close I deserve a little payback."

"Alright, if you say so. Just don't say I didn't warn you when Gladio gets on your ass over it."

"Oh please, I think I can take Gladio. I used to spar with him, remember?"

"Whatever. It's your funeral."

"Oh shut up," Katia tried to lightly punch him, but ended up hitting him hard enough that he winced and a small red spot was left on his arm. "Oh shit! I'm so sorry, Prom! Are you okay?"

"Woah, don't worry, it's nothing. I can handle much worse than that," Prompto reassured her. "It just surprised me, that's all. Plus it's the same spot Gladio hit me in, so it's probably just that. Now let's hurry. We're falling behind and I kinda wanna check out that ice cream place."

"Alright, if you're sure it's okay." Katia tried to smile as the two ran ahead slightly to catch up with the others. She suddenly felt a small pain in her own arm, but ignored it. It was probably nothing to worry about.

\----------------------------

"You sure you're alright, Noct?" Katia asked as they sat inside the hotel lobby.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. It was just a brief headache." Noctis insisted. But Katia wasn't having it. She knew how bad headaches could get, and the fact that it happened the same time as that earthquake did couldn't be a coincidence.

"Well don't come crying to me if it happens again. You know I don't have anything that can help with those." It suddenly occurred to her that she hadn't had a single headache since she'd left Insomnia. It wasn't as if her headaches were frequent, but the fact that she hadn't had one in so long felt strange to her. Especially since it'd been a while since she'd had one at all. Not that she was complaining, but it just felt strange.

Noct opened his mouth to say something, but the sound of a girl's voice interrupted him. "Gladdy!" Standing on the stairs was a young girl, waving to the group of five eagerly. No doubt it was Iris Amicita. She ran down the remaining steps and walked over to them. "Look at you guys, holding your own out there."

Katia drowned out the conversation for a bit, feeling just a bit jealous of Gladio. He still had family to come back to, unlike the rest of them. She knew Noctis was in the same boat as her, but she didn't know about the others. She knew little about Ignis and he never spoke about his family. And Prompto, well, she knew his parents weren't exactly the kind of people who cared. If they were alive, they wouldn't tell him.

"Oh, I didn't think you were here too, Katia!" Iris addressed her directly. Katia snapped out of her thoughts, giving the girl a smirk.

"I just joined up with them yesterday," she explained. "It's a long story."

"If you say so. Let's head upstairs, you guys probably want to rest soon."

Iris lead them upstairs, taking them to an open room. It was certainly nicer than the standard motel was. Prompto looked in and saw two large beds, letting out a quiet sigh. Looks like there was gonna be another sleeping situation, and no doubt someone was ending up on the floor. He could only hope that person wouldn't end up being him, or Katia for that matter.

Two other people joined them, an old man and a child. "Jared and Talcott! Is it good to see you." Gladio said.

The young boy stood forward with confidence. "Prince Noctis! Iris is safe with me!" he declared, causing both of the girls in the room to laugh. Katia couldn't help it, it just felt too adorable how this kid was ready to protect someone so much older than him.

"Please excuse my grandson," The old man said. "He has yet to learn his manners."

"I like it." Noctis said.

"So do I," Katia added. "And I'm sure he'll do a great job of protecting Iris," The boy smiled from the praise. The two quickly left, wishing Noctis a good night's sleep before they went.

The group sat down around the room, as Noctis asked Iris just what had happened in the Crown City. Katia could only listen, the images described playing out in her mind. Iris brought up that Lady Lunafreya had been in the city, but that she'd made it out alive, at least that news report of her death had been false. She left as well, seeing that there was already enough people in the room, letting them know if they needed any more info they could ask her.

"Alright, let's get this over with," Katia said. "Who's sleeping on the floor tonight?"

The boys looked at each other, silently thinking it over. "I don't mind doing it." Gladio spoke up. For some reason it wasn't a surprise that he was okay with it.

"Well, if that's the case, I suppose we'll leave it at that," Ignis said. "We should get to bed soon, I have a feeling we have a long day ahead of us." No one disagreed, so they all got prepared to sleep.

Katia, who had once again found herself sharing a sleeping space with Prompto, couldn't get sleep to come as easy as the night before. She had a strange feeling that not just tomorrow but the next few days, were going to be long. Like something was telling her their time in Lestallum wasn't going to be all fun and games. Maybe it was the earthquake and Noct's headache from before. It hadn't felt natural at all. But the only thing she could do was wait and see what would happen.

She closed her eyes, trying to sleep and not worry about what might happen. As she drifted off to sleep, she thought she felt a sudden warmth wrap around her, welcoming the cozy feeling as she did the night before.

\---------------------------

Just as she suspected, the next few days were anything but ordinary. After having a look around the city and doing a few nearby hunts, Talcott had told them of a sword behind a waterfall. He had been correct, as an icy cavern had held one of the royal tombs they'd been searching for. But after collecting the weapon and informing the young boy that he was correct, Noctis was hit with more headaches. And Katia was right about them not being ordinary, he said that he'd seen the Disc of Cauthess while they happened. So with that, they had all decided to go to the outlook in hopes that seeing the Disc themselves would give some answers.

As they walked there, Katia couldn't shake the feeling that something was still wrong. Obviously what was happening to Noct wasn't right, but it was as if there was something telling her that things would go wrong. She didn't object to anything, the sooner they figured out what was wrong with Noct the better, but the bubbling anxiety was impossible for her to ignore.

It was when they reached the outlook that her anxiety reached it's peak.

"What a coincidence." A man who'd been looking at the meteor said, looking over at the group. Katia froze where she stood, only able to stare at him. His messy wine-colored hair, his heavy looking clothing that seemed old, his smooth velvet voice, it put her on edge. Despite standing in the heat of Lestallum, she felt a chill run down her spine. This man was familiar to her, she was certain of it. But she'd never seen this man before in her life, right? It couldn't have been someone she'd seen at a glance, she wouldn't be feeling so afraid if that were the case. So why was this stranger so familiar to her and why did the mere sight of him give her goosebumps?

"I'm not so sure it is." Gladio said. Wait, the guys had met him before? Then she realized, Prompto had told her about "some strange dude" who told them the boats weren't running and left them with a coin while only saying he was "a man of no consequence". Was this him? What was he doing here?

The man walked closer to them, causing Katia to back away so she was hopefully out of his line of sight. She didn't want him to notice her. "Aren't nursery rhymes curious things?" he asked.

Katia suddenly felt her left hand in a tight grip. She glanced over and saw Prompto, standing slightly in front of her. His hand was holding hers tightly, it felt more firm than he usually would. It was almost as if he was trying to protect her from this guy. Before she could say anything, he whispered to her. "I don't know why this dude's got you all freaked out, but I got your back, okay?" Katia just nodded, letting herself be calmed by the warmth of his hand.

"Like this one: 'From the deep, the Archaeon calls... Yet on deaf ears, the gods' tongue falls. The King made to kneel, in pain he crawls.'" The man continued to speak.

"So how do we keep him on his feet?" Prompto asked.

The man walked past them, and Katia could swear he had glanced at her with a smirk. Her attempts to hide from him were futile. "You need only heed the call. Visit the Archaeon and hear his plea," he instructed. "I can take you."

The last thing she wanted was to be around this man for much longer. The boys huddled together, contemplating his offer.

"We in?"

"I don't know."

"We take a ride..."

"...but watch our backs." At least she wasn't the only one who didn't trust him.

"Fair enough."

"Let's do it."

"Alright then." Katia said, not wanting to draw suspicion from the other three. Prompto could tell she didn't like this, the last thing she needed was being the one to hold them to hold them back just because she felt uncomfortable.

"I'm not one to stand on ceremony, but such an occasion calls for an introduction. Please, call me 'Ardyn'," The man said. Ardyn... Katia knew she'd heard that name before, it did little to remove her worries about him. "Come with me to the car park. That's where I left my automobile. She's a dear old thing. Pales next to your Regalia, but she's never let me down," They followed him, every word he spoke making Katia feel more on edge. Something was strange about this guy, she just couldn't figure out what it was. "So we'll take two vehicles-a convoy of sorts. Shall we?"

After making it to the cars, and Ardyn assigning Noctis as their driver, they were off to the Disc following behind Ardyn. The man had given them strict instructions not to pass him and to stay behind him, Katia didn't mind that. If it meant she wasn't near him she was perfectly happy with it. The others began talking about this being their second run-in with him, so Katia stayed silent. She just wanted this to be over with.

"What d'you think Kat?" Noctis asked, trying to involve her in their conversation.

She took a deep breath, she needed to stay composed. "If you ask me, I don't think that guy can be trusted. I don't know what he wants or why he's following us, but it can't be for good reasons. He feels really creepy." She decided not to bring up the familiarity she felt around him, they had enough questions about him as is. At least the others agreed with her on the creepiness. None of them trusted him, but he was their only way to the Disc. They had to follow him even if they didn't want to.

\-----------------------------

This was the last situation Katia wanted to be in, though really none of them wanted to.

After stopping at an outpost along the way, Ardyn had insisted upon them staying at the caravan for the night. Together. The creepiness factors just kept growing. But he refused to move forward, leaving them with no other options. As long as he stayed away from her, Katia thought she'd be fine. But things never went according to plan it seemed.

Katia and Prompto were sitting out on the patio furniture, playing King's Knight with each other while the others were elsewhere. Prompto had insisted he stay by her side, he could tell she was freaked out and said he didn't feel safe leaving her by herself. Which had turned out to be a good decision. Ardyn walked over, taking a seat in one of the free chairs and looking at Katia. "I don't believe I saw you the last time I met these gentlemen. I believe I would've remembered a pretty face such as yours, my dear. Might I know your name?"

Katia didn't want to tell him her name, she didn't want him to know anything about her, but she had to say something. She didn't want to make her fear so obvious. "It's Katia. Katia Ferrum."

"Katia Ferrum? Interesting," Ardyn said, a small chuckle escaping his lips. "I must say, it's a rather lovely name for such a lovely lady." Was he flirting with her? Katia sure hoped not. She wasn't used to it, but compliments like that would usually leave her flustered. But coming from this mans mouth, she only felt disgust.

"Th-thanks." She managed to say. As much as she wanted to walk away, she felt that doing so would be a bad idea. If she had to deal with this creep, she was going to avoid any unnecessary conflict.

From his chair, Prompto felt a strange anger building up in his chest. He didn't dare say anything, but the way Ardyn was acting combined with Katia's clear discomfort was making him irritated. He didn't know what he was planning, but the moment he thought Katia was at risk he'd be ready to drag her inside the caravan and away from Ardyn.

"Now tell me, just what brings you here exactly?" Ardyn asked. "Clearly you must be well-acquainted with these men if you're willing to risk your life alongside them, hm?"

"They're my friends. I came along to help them out. That's all."

"Is that so? Well I'm sure you're already well aware of the risks this journey brings. But are you prepared to handle them, my dear?"

"I know what I'm doing."

"Do you? Are are you just tagging along thinking you'll find some purpose in life by doing so?"

Okay, this was enough. She was not dealing with this anymore. "That's not-" As she spoke, she felt a sharp, throbbing pain in the right side of her head. What? Why now? Why was she having a headache right now? She clutched her head, begging silently for the pain to stop.

"Kat!" Prompto shot out of his chair and ran over to her, helping her stand up. He knew exactly what was happening and knew she needed help.

"Oh my. Is there something wrong with her?" Ardyn asked nonchalantly. Almost as if he didn't care about what was happening.

"I'm fine..." Katia said as Prompto held onto her arm. "It's just a headache..."

"Kat, you're not fine. Let's get in the caravan so you can lie down. It's bad enough Noct is having headaches after all." Prompto insisted. Besides, it was a good excuse to get away from Ardyn. Not feeling like arguing, Katia slowly nodded her head and allowed Prompto to lead her inside. Ardyn continued to sit in his chair, smirking as he watched the pair leave.

"Well then, this just got much more interesting than I thought it would."


	8. Chapter 7: Chasing Feathers

"Ugh, I am so tired of fighting right now!" Katia shouted, aches and pains from their recent battle going through her body. Many days had passed since their meeting with Ardyn, or rather Chancellor Izunia of Niflheim as it turned out, and Noctis had recieved the blessing from Titan. But instead of moving on or heading back to Lestallum, they were stuck in the raining wetlands of Duscae with no car, waiting to hear news of its whereabouts. At least they'd been given a task in the meantime, but that required them to travel throughout the region on foot, fighting anything that managed to come across them. Including many MTs. It was just one battle after another it seemed. "Tell me that camp is nearby, I could really go for camping right now."

"It is getting rather late, Noct. Perhaps we should put our search on hold for now and get some rest." Ignis suggested.

"Yeah, sure." Noctis agreed. Katia let out a sigh of relief. Never in her life was she so glad to be camping.

"Looks like there's a haven right over there," Gladio gestured to a spot in the trees. "And it's not too far from that cave we need to go to, so we can hurry over there once we're well rested."

"Sounds like a plan to me! Now let's go, I'm starving!" Prompto said.

The five of them hopped on the chocobos they'd rented, making their way over to the haven. "Man, it'll be nice to have somewhere to sleep," Katia said. "I don't know why, but lately I've been feeling more beat up after battle."

"I've been feeling the same," Prompto added. "Maybe we're just dealing with tougher stuff than usual?"

"Or maybe it's because just about everything is trying to kill us. Doesn't help that the Empire's been on our backs too," Katia said. "Not that I mind too much, taking down MTs is kinda satisfying in a way. I just don't wanna fight when I feel like a truck just ran me over."

"It'll be nice to have the car back, that's for sure." Noctis said, saying what his two best friends were thinking.

"Hey, if anyone can find the Regalia, it'll be Cindy. She's got a knack for this kind of thing." Prompto said.

The uneasiness returned to Katia just as it did before. It seemed like Prompto couldn't stop talking about Cindy lately, singing her praises or getting teased by Gladio about her. She just didn't understand why this was bothering her so much. Prompto and Cindy were just friends, that's what she kept telling herself, but the more he spoke of her the more she felt like her wrist was burning. She had to figure out just what was wrong with her, why she felt like this.

She looked over at Noctis, getting off of his chocobo as they made it to the haven. Noct had always been her other source of advice, whenever there was some issue she felt she couldn't bring up with Prompto she'd always ask him. Whether his advice was helpful or not was one thing, but right now she had no one else to turn to. She had to talk to him, but she needed to be alone with him.

After eating another one of Ignis' meals and the others had headed in for the night, Katia found Noctis sitting by the fire. This was perfect, she already thought of a good method to get him to be alone with her, now she just needed to ask.

"Hey Noct!" she called out, piquing the prince's attention. "So I need to look for something around this area, and I really need your help. But we need to wake up bright and early to do it, the others can't know about it. You mind helping me out?" She wasn't lying, she did need to do this, but the task was more of a cover for what she really had in mind.

Noct stood there in thought for a moment before smiling. "Yeah, okay. What're friends for?"

"Thanks Noct, you're a lifesaver! See ya in the morning!"

\------------------------------------------

Katia stood out in the rain, it seemed like it wouldn't let up, waiting for Noctis to wake up. Then again, she'd dragged herself up earlier than usual. Noct taking a while was expected. He had a harder time waking up than she did, and she was well aware of that. After ten minutes, Noct finally woke up and was ready as he'd ever be. "Alright, so what're we looking for?" he asked.

Katia jumped up, a hopefully convincing smile on her face. "Black chocobo feathers!"

"Huh? What'd you need those for?"

"Sorry Noct, that's classified information. All that's important is that I find black chocobo feathers."

"And how are we supposed to find them? Aren't black chocobos rare or something?"

"Yep, but by a stroke of luck, I happened to see one wandering around here while we were setting up camp! Which means some of it's feathers must be lying around here somewhere. If we can find them, that'd be super awesome!" It was the perfect plan. She was glad she saw that chocobo when she did, otherwise who knows how she'd get Noct to wake up early? This way, she could get the feathers she needed and ask Noct for his advice. Now it was just an issue of when to ask him.

Noctis raised an eyebrow, but didn't otherwise question her. "Alright, so where are they?"

"The feathers should be near those trees. That's where I saw the black chocobo. We just need to look over there and find what we can. Hopefully there's at least one or two lying around. If you find any, just holler to me and I'll come check them. Now let's stop talking, and get moving!"

The two walked over to where she'd seen the chocobo last night, Katia thinking about how she'd bring this up. She didn't want to sound like a clingy, jealous friend, but she wasn't sure how else she could do this. It was times like this that she cursed her way with words. She began to search for the feathers, assuming Noct was already doing the same. A few minutes of silence passed before he finally spoke.

"Alright Katia, we both know you didn't just call me out here to look for chocobo feathers. What's eating at you?"

Dammit, he was too smart for his own good. Of course he'd figure out there was an ulterior motive. Katia sighed before speaking. "Looks like I've been found out. But yeah, I needed to talk to you alone."

"Let me guess, it has to do with Prompto talking about Cindy doesn't it?"

"Okay, how did you know that? Are you a mind reader now? Are the Astrals giving you psychic powers or something?"

"Nope, it's just easy for me to figure out. I notice how you get when he starts talking about Cindy. You get all quiet and have this hurt puppy look on your face."

"It's that obvious?"

"Yeah, at least to me. So what's wrong?"

"That's the thing, Noct. I don't know what's wrong. Me and Prom are best friends, it feels like he gets me like no one else does if that makes any sense. And I thought that me and him were always gonna be best friends, and you of course. But now he spends most of his time talking about Cindy, and it hurts. I don't know why it hurts, and it feels stupid that it does. And I just don't know what to do, or why it feels like this. I'm not a bad person for thinking this way, am I? Because I want him to be happy, but this just feels weird."

There was silence. Noctis was probably thinking things over. Katia went back to looking for feathers, waiting for his response, when she suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned her head to see him standing there, what she guessed was supposed to be a reassuring smile on his face.

"Look, I'm not sure I can tell you exactly what's wrong here, but let me just ask you something. Have you ever put thought into how you feel about Prompto? Like, seriously thought about it?"

She didn't know how to respond. What kind of a question was that? She was about to rebut him, saying that of course she knew, but then it dawned on her that she never really did. She'd always seen Prompto as her best friend, and assumed that was how he saw her. But was that really the case? "I...I don't know..."

Noctis stood back up, helping Katia get off the ground as well. "In that case, maybe you should. Maybe you'll figure something out. And that might lead to the answers you're looking for," He put four black feathers in her hand. "Let me know when you figure it out. Hope these feathers are the kind you're looking for. See you back at camp." With that, he made his way back, leaving Katia to stand there and think.

How she felt about Prompto? She thought that was an easy question to answer. But was it really? She looked at the feathers, noting they were in perfect condition and undamaged. Just what she needed. She put them in her pocket, and ran up to get caught up with Noctis.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this one feels short, I wanted to put in more but it wasn't turning out right.
> 
> But next chapter's gonna be fun for me and ya'll are not gonna be happy I'll bet. Fun times ahead. 8D


	9. Chapter 8: I'm Not That Girl

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to hate me for this chapter, I know I'm terrible. My poor OCs go through so much shit.

"Have you ever put thought into how you feel about Prompto? Like, seriously thought about it?"

Noctis' question had stuck in Katia's head, refusing to leave her alone. It was true she'd never thought too much about it, but why would he even ask that question in the first place? Knowing Noct, he probably already had everything figured out but was purposefully being quiet about it. She hadn't missed the knowing smirks he gave. But what did he know that she didn't?

She kept thinking about her and Prompto, hoping to have some grand revelation that answered everything. But it just seemed like she kept coming up with the same answers. Prompto was her best friend. Prompto was always there for her when she needed someone. Prompto made her happy just by being around her. Things like that were normal for best friends, weren't they? So why did she have this feeling she was missing something?

And then it hit her. It was probably the worst possible time for her to realize such a thing, but it was out of her control.

They'd finally found the Regalia in a Niflheim base, after sneaking around it during the night. It seemed like they were in the clear to grab it, but things were never that easy. They were soon under attack by a Magitek Armor, the only way they were getting the car back was to destroy it. As she'd gone back and forth between attacking the armor and the MT soldiers, she noticed Prompto by himself, shooting at targets as usual. But an MT was sneaking up behind him, ready to strike.

"Prom, look out!"

She'd just ran over without thinking, pushing Prompto out of the way before he'd been hit. She threw her lance at the MTs head, striking it down instantly as the two of them were on the ground. She meant to stand up and get back in the fight, but she caught herself staring at Prompto.

The lights of the base were reflected in his blue eyes, filled with amazement at what had happened. She'd never taken the time to really look into his eyes, but now that she had the chance she couldn't help but look at them. The were beautiful, absolutely beautiful. "Thanks for the save there, Kat. Didn't know that guy was on me." His words snapped her out of the trance she was in, and the two of them stood back up. But even though the battle continued, Katia kept finding herself looking at him and noticing things she hadn't before.

The way his freckles were spread out on his face, the shine of his blond hair, the definition of his arms, how come she never noticed this before? And his voice, it both seemed different yet completely unchanged. Among the discord of metal hitting metal and the others grunts, his voice and laughter sounded like music to her ears. Had it always been like that and she just never noticed? Why was she noticing all this stuff now of all times?! Even when she stopped looking at him and tried to stay focused on the battle, she found herself thinking of all the things he did for her.

Prompto was always there to help her, always willing to do or say whatever he could. She'd told him secrets no one else knew because she trusted him that much, and he did the same. They joked around with each other, talked about things for longer than was probably needed, and then there'd been the shock she got the other morning when he was holding her in his sleep. She felt her heart skip a beat, Prompto was her best friend but she felt so much more than that for him. He was fun, sweet, cute, all kinds of things really.

In that moment, in the heat of battle, Katia realized that which she'd been denying and hiding for so long. She was in love with Prompto Argentum. And she had no idea how she was going to deal with this.

\----------------------------------

"Hey Noct, you got a sec?" Katia whispered.

They were sitting in the Regalia, Iris in the backseat with them. The young girl wanted to leave Lestallum, and Gladio was eager to help his sister. Prompto currently wasn't in the car with them, someone had to get out so Iris could ride with them. Thankfully, he wasn't too far behind them, riding in a motorcycle with a woman named Eleiza they'd met earlier in their journey. And for Katia, it was partially a relief that he wasn't with them right now.

Ever since she'd realized she was in love with Prompto, she'd felt conflicted. She wanted to tell him, but her damn insecurities had to rear their ugly heads. What if he hadn't felt the same way? What if he already loved someone else? So many questions popped into her head. And then there was her soulmate marking. Even though her father had told her that finding her soulmate might never happen, she'd always kept hope that she would. But she just kept thinking about Prompto and how happy he made her feel. She never talked about soulmates with Prompto, and neither of them knew where their marks were. It was the one thing they never told each other. But what if he was looking for his soulmate? She had no idea. And was she willing to give up potential happiness with her soulmate because of Prompto? It was all too much to think about.

"Yeah. What's up?" Noctis whispered back.

"About what you were saying before, about my feelings for Prom? I think I finally figured it out."

"And?"

"...I'm in love with him."

Noctis smirked. He knew it. But something else was going on here. "Alright, what does he think?"

Katia sighed. "That's the thing. I haven't told him yet. I mean, things have been hectic these last few days and I haven't brought it up because I'm scared."

"What's there to be scared about? It's Prompto. The worst thing that could happen is he'd say no and let you down gently. It wouldn't be the end of the world."

"But how do I tell him? It's not like I'm very good at this sort of thing, Noct."

"Just tell him how you feel. Show him that you love him if you feel like you have to. Prompto's in the same boat as you, you know. He's never been asked out on a date, so you'll probably make him happy by telling him."

"I just...I dunno..."

"Alright, how about this? You tell him while we're in Cape Caem. Nothing crazy's gonna happen and it'll be the best moment to do so. I'll be backing you up the whole way. Got it?"

"Wha- Seriously Noct?! I don't-"

"Kat, just tell him. You don't have to do it the moment we get there, but you have to tell him. Or else I'll do it for you."

"You wouldn't dare."

"Oh I would. Anything to get rid of this awkward tension. You tell him, or I tell him."

"...Fine. I'll do it. But I'm doing it my way. I need to think this over."

"Well then, start thinking. You have plenty of time to do so."

\---------------------------

Katia couldn't stop pacing.

It took them longer to get to Caem than expected, so she'd been given plenty of time to think about how she was going to confess to Prompto. But now that they were actually here, she was more nervous than ever. Especially after seeing Cindy in person. It's no wonder Prompto kept talking about her, she was beautiful. Definitely someone worth talking about. Just seeing the mechanic had been enough to unravel her, and she felt like she was going to freak out.

"Noct, I don't know if I can do this!" she said, Noctis sitting in a chair and watching her pace.

"You'll be fine, Kat. He's not going to bite you." he pointed out.

"But I'm not ready to do this! I've never even confessed to someone before!"

"Which is all the more reason why you should do this. You keep putting it off, and you'll never be ready," Noctis stood up and opened the door. "Now hurry up and tell that dork you love him already."

Katia took a deep breath, hoping she could calm herself. Noctis was right. She was choosing Prompto over the chance to find her soulmate, she had to tell him. It felt right in her heart, and it wouldn't do any good to keep this in. Besides, it's not like things could go terribly wrong or something. "Alright, I'm doing it!" She headed out the door, resolve in her step.

"Good luck, Katia." Noctis encouraged her, shutting the door behind him.

Okay, she could do this. She knew just what to do, at least she hoped so. She searched through her pocket, finding exactly what she needed. She'd been working on making this for days, what better time to give it to him than right now? She looked around, Prompto had to be around here somewhere. She knew that Gladio had said something about going off on his own for a while, and no doubt Ignis was having a conversation of some sorts with Eleiza. So where could Prompto be? At least it gave her some extra time to think her words over.

Having looked around the area with no luck, she figured that it'd be best to check back where the car was parked, he couldn't be too far after all. She headed down the path, a smile on her face as she felt her confidence grow. Noctis was right, she could do this! Prompto was her best friend, there's no way he'd react negatively to her confession. Even if he said no, they'd still be friends. She just knew it.

Finally, she spotted Prompto down near the car. But he wasn't alone. Someone else was with him and it looked like they were talking. Not wanting to interrupt, she got closer but tried to stay hidden behind a tree. Being closer she noticed the person he was talking to was...Cindy? What was she still doing here? Wasn't she heading back to Hammerhead? Katia tried to get closer, trying to figure out just what they were talking about. She wasn't the kind of person to spy on others, but she couldn't stop herself.

The closer she got, the more she noticed how Prompto was behaving. He was smiling, but it wasn't the usual goofy smile she always saw. There was a difference to his tone of voice, an almost airy quality to it. His cheeks were tinted pink and he was having trouble keeping eye contact. Plus he was nervously laughing more than usual. ...No, it couldn't be what she thought it was. She must be misunderstanding something, or her nerves were getting to her, that had to be it!

"So, uh, maybe later you and I could...I dunno...go out for dinner or something?"

Katia felt her heart shatter into pieces. No longer caring if she was spotted she ran away back to the house, she didn't want to stand there and hear the answer to that question. How could she be so blind? Of course Prompto was in love with Cindy, she should've seen it ages ago. She never even had a chance, how could she stupidly think she did? Her tears began to flow freely as an intense cold pain shot through her wrist. Not paying attention to what was around her, she ran into the lighthouse, slumping down to the floor and crying.

She dropped what she'd been holding, no longer caring about it. She could only stare at her arms, the wristband on her left, and the bracelet on her right. She tore the bracelet off and dropped it to the ground as well. She couldn't look at it when all it did was remind her that she never had a chance. The cold feeling in her arm got stronger, and she took the wristband off to look at the feather marking.

"Why...? W-Why did I ever think I had a ch-chance with him?" she stuttered through her cries.

In her grief, she didn't hear the lighthouse door open as Noctis stepped inside. He saw her running away with tears in her eyes, knowing it meant something had gone wrong. Just as he was about to ask her what happened, he noticed her exposed wrist and could only stare at what he saw. Her soulmate marking was a chocobo feather. He'd seen one exactly like it before. He had his suspicions, but now he was just wondering what had happened to make her like this. "Kat...that mark on your arm..." he said.

Katia's eyes went wide and her crying stopped. "What?! What are you talking about?! What marking on my arm?!" she asked, sounding frantic as she tried hiding her wrist. "Wait, oh, you're talking about that one." She looked down at her wrist again, at the cold chocobo feather that she now just wanted to hide forever.

Noctis decided not to question what she meant, she was clearly a wreck. "Never mind, what happened? What did Prompto say to you?"

The mention of his name seemed to cause the waterworks to flow once again. "I...I didn't tell him..." she said. "He was talking with Cindy, asking her out on a date and I...I..." She began sobbing again, feeling like the world was against her. "I should've known I didn't have a chance! He loves Cindy, and I can't be Cindy! She's beautiful, smart, funny, everything I'm not! I never had a chance with Prompto because he already found someone else! I was doomed to fail from the start!"

Noctis silently sighed, there was a whole misunderstanding here. They didn't even know the truth. One way or another, he'd have to fix this. He tried to place a hand on Katia's shoulder so he could say something but she backed away before he could.

"Noct, please, I need to be alone," she said. "I'm sure Prompto will be happy with Cindy, but right now I don't wanna think about that. Just, go away and leave me alone. Don't tell him where I am either, he doesn't need to see me being pathetic and jealous," The more she spoke, the more she felt her wrist get cold. It almost felt numb. She no longer felt sad or hurt or angry. She just felt empty, as if something was missing that she couldn't replace. "I just..." She couldn't even bring herself to cry. She just walked away into the elevator, going to the top floor. She didn't know what was worse, the fact that she deluded herself into thinking Prompto could ever love her back, or the fact that she couldn't be mad at him or Cindy for this.

Noctis sighed. This was going to take a lot of work. How the hell did you get two obvious soulmates to realize they're meant for each other when one of them was already convinced she'd lost and the other had no idea? He was about to leave when he noticed some things she'd left on the ground. He picked them up, figuring it was best not to leave them there. One was the bracelet from Galdin Quay, the other was some kind of handmade chocobo feather necklace. He put the items away, and began to think about how he could fix this.

\------------------------

"So, uh, maybe later you and I could...I dunno...go out for dinner or something?" Prompto asked Cindy. He figured now was the best chance to do so, there was no telling when he'd see her again after all. But instead of an answer, all he got was giggling.

"Sorry, you seem real sweet an' all, but I ain't interested in datin'. Plus I'm busy at the garage, I ain't got time for dates anyway."

He thought he'd be upset, but instead her rejection had her feeling relieved? Why was that? "Oh, okay then. Guess we'll just stay-" All of a sudden, he felt a sharp pain in his chest and wrist. What was going on here? He felt a mixture of emotions all at once. Sadness, jealousy, anger, heartbreak... Did something happen to his soulmate?

"Prompto, are ya'll alright there?" Cindy asked. Prompto hadn't even realized that he'd been clutching his chest or clenching his teeth.

"Yeah, I'm fine, I think." he said, not sure if he was okay.

"If yer sure, than I won't press ya. I should be gettin' back now. Take care of yerself, okay?"

"Yeah, sure, I will." Prompto said as Cindy left Caem. At that moment, he began to wonder what had happened to make his soulmate feel so upset like that. Confused and still feeling the pain, he made his way back towards the house. Nothing was making sense to him, but he doubted he'd figure out what was wrong. He just went inside the house and sat around, wondering where Katia could be.

After what seemed like hours, she finally walked inside, but Prompto could tell something was terribly wrong. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying, her movements were slow and stilted, and she just kept staring straight ahead without any focus. She didn't even look at him or say hello. He'd never seen her like this before. "Kat? You okay?" he asked, trying to get her attention. He realized that was the dumbest question he could've asked, she obviously was not okay.

Her head seemed to snap up at his words, but she still didn't look at him. In fact, she turned her head away. "I don't want to talk right now." she said, her voice practically monotone.

"Kat, are you sure? I don't know what's wrong but-"

"Prompto please, just leave me alone. I'm too tired, okay?" And with that, she rushed up the stairs, leaving Prompto hurt and confused.

She never dropped the nickname she gave him. She always called him "Prom". She only used his name when something was wrong. And it seemed like she was trying to get away from him for some reason.

Nothing was making any sense. He just hoped that whatever was going on, that Katia would feel better in the morning and he'd see her smile. And that the pain in his wrist would stop.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Obvious song influence is obvious.


	10. Chapter 9: Aranea Highwind

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh, this chapter is short and I know it sucks but I was struggling and tried my best. I promise the next chapter will be better.

The next morning, nothing had changed. Katia woke up, getting out of the bed she'd slept in on her own, and that far away look in her eyes hadn't changed. There was no smile, there was no ounce of happiness in her expression. She just looked empty, and it continued to worry Prompto. He figured she wouldn't have gotten completely better overnight, but he'd hoped that she'd at least try to look happy like she usually did when something was bothering her, at least then he'd know that whatever was wrong with her could be fixed.

Maybe she just needed to be left alone? He could tell Noctis had noticed her strange behavior but he wasn't doing anything, so maybe it was best to just let her be and wait for her feelings to sort themselves out. But no matter how many times he told himself that, Prompto still felt bad about how he wasn't doing anything to help. All he could do was stand there and watch as Katia looked out of focus.

It wasn't any better when they left for the Vesperpool to find the mythril, and instead of sitting in the back like usual she asked Ignis if she could sit in the front. He desperately wanted to say something, ask her what was going on, but he felt that she wouldn't say anything in this state. At least not to him. All he could hope for was that she'd go back to her normal self. At least the pain in his chest had gone away, but there was still a persistent pain in his wrist, almost an itching feeling. He tried to ignore it as they made their way to the Vesperpool.

\---------------------------

Katia hated this. She knew they had to be here to get the last material for the boat, but it wasn't pleasant. First, Ardyn had showed up once again, which in her eyes ruined the entire situation. Second, that Aranea woman from the last base they raided had become their escort. She'd already overheard Prompto telling Noctis that Cindy turned him down, which she outright despised that she was happy about it, and although it was probably her jumbled thoughts she couldn't help but feel like he kept looking at her. The thought that he might already be moving on towards another beautiful woman certainly didn't make her feel any better. And third, she was beginning to get sloppy in battle.

Granted, she wasn't on the level of Ignis or Gladio so she'd still falter every now and then, but now it just seemed like she couldn't do anything right. She was stumbling, missing her attacks, dropping her weapon, even tripping on nothing. It was just more stress that was being added to the pile, stress she wished would just go away. What was she supposed to do if she couldn't even fight? It's not like she could leave the temple at this point.

Her struggles weren't lost on the others either. "Katia, is something the matter?" Ignis asked as another encounter had ended. "You seem to be struggling out there. I'm not one to criticize your fighting, but you're not usually so sloppy."

"I...I don't know..." she said. She couldn't come up with a better answer to his question. True, something was bothering her, but it couldn't really be effecting her fighting, could it?

"If she's not feeling well, we can stop here and rest for a moment," Aranea spoke up. "The daemons shouldn't come back for a while."

"I'm fine," Katia spoke, her voice more harsh than she intended. She didn't know why this woman was bothering her so much, but she was. And she wasn't going to be a burden on the others. "Let's just keep moving, I don't wanna hang around anywhere for too long." She began to walk ahead of the others.

"But Kat-" Prompto tried to speak up, but was held back by Ignis.

"We can't force her, Prompto," Ignis said. "Let's just keep moving. The sooner we make it through here, the sooner we can figure out the cause of her strange behavior."

Prompto just frowned, moving forward with the others, trying to ignore the itching feeling.

\---------------------

"Alright, that's it. We're not moving forward until this girl gets some rest," Aranea insisted, her arms crossed as Katia was kneeling on the ground and breathing heavily. Noctis was down beside her, trying to help her back up. "That Iron Giant took a lot out of her, and I'm not about to let her get herself killed just because she's trying to prove some kind of point."

Katia stood up, her breathing still heavy. She was in no mood to be lectured by this woman. "I told you, I'm _fine_." she insisted.

"Kat, you can barely stand right now. You need a breather." Noctis said.

"It will only be a moment, there's no way you can keep fighting in your current condition." Ignis added.

Prompto said nothing, certain that she'd just ignore what he said anyway. He just wanted her to go back to normal or tell him what's wrong.

Katia sighed, none of them were about to drop this. "Alright, fine!" she said.

"We shouldn't stick around for too long. I say we give her fifteen minutes so she can at least recover from that last fight," Aranea said. "That way she'll be able to walk again." The others agreed as Noctis brought her to a corner of the room so she could sit down and breathe.

Katia hated to admit it, but Aranea was right. If she was getting this battered and out of breath just from fighting an Iron Giant, then what good was she? Aranea was better with a lance than she could ever be, and her sudden slipping wasn't doing any favors. She was becoming a burden, and she knew it even if the guys weren't saying anything. Did she really belong here with them?

"Hey," Katia looked up to see Aranea standing over her, the guys sitting a small distance away. "Let's have some girl talk." She sat down next to her. Why was she doing this? They weren't really friends, so it didn't make sense for her to wanna chat.

"What do you want?" Katia asked, her voice not really angry even though she wanted to sound angry. It just came out as sad and defeated.

"What I want is to know why you've gotten so sloppy since our last encounter," Aranea explained. "My guess is that something's eating at you. Did I hit the mark?" Katia just nodded her head, not feeling like asking how she figured that out. "Figured that was it. There's no way you'd be travelling with them if you're usually like this."

"No offense, but why do you even care?" Katia asked. "I'm not your problem, I can take care of myself."

Aranea sighed. "It's Katia, right? Look, I don't know what's going on, or why you're acting like this, but you can't keep it bottled up like this. Not when your friends over there are worried about you," She pointed towards the three guys, and for a moment Katia thought she saw Prompto looking at her with a worried expression before looking away. No, that couldn't be it. He had no reason to be looking at her. "Plus if you keep screwing up like this, you _will_ get yourself killed. You got lucky, but luck isn't always on your side."

"Believe me, I know," Katia mumbled. "Is there a point to this discussion or not?"

"The point is, you have to tell them what's happening," Aranea explained. "Especially since Blondie over there keeps looking at you like a sad puppy. The sooner you get this off your chest, the sooner you can stop feeling like crap."

"Easier said than done."

"Well, can't say I didn't try," Aranea stood up, throwing something at Katia. It was a hi-potion. "If you're gonna keep moping around, than fine. Just don't hold the others down in the process. Use that and see if you can stand. We need to keep moving."

Katia crushed the curative in her hand and stood up. She didn't feel any better, nor did she understand what Aranea was trying to do. Was she trying to help? Because it didn't work if that was the case. She just kept thinking about what she said about holding the others back. Maybe she didn't belong here after all. And it's not like she could just blurt out her problems to Prompto. He didn't need to hear about how she was jealous that he only had eyes for Cindy, or maybe Aranea now, and how her heart was broken because of something he didn't know.

One thing was for certain, she had a lot to think about.


	11. Chapter 10: Just Dance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I knew this chapter would be better than the last one! Suck it, writer's block!

"Noct, did I do something wrong?"

Noctis looked up from his phone as Prompto suddenly spoke to him. "Huh? Why're you asking me?"

Prompto sighed. "I mean, Kat hates me, right? There's no other reason she'd be acting like this. And I don't want to have failed her again, so please. Did I do something wrong?" The past few days played back in his head.

Just leave her alone for a few days, that's what he'd kept telling himself. But it became clear to Prompto that this wasn't just some ordinary bad mood she was in. He thought all she needed was some space, and then Katia would be back to her usual, perky, happy self. Then she'd talk to him about whatever had happened and things would go back to normal. But he was wrong, very very wrong. In fact, it started to feel like she was trying to avoid him as much as possible.

When they headed back to Lestallum and Gladio returned from whatever he'd been doing, Katia practically ignored him. She barely responded to a word he said, and when she did it was always short and quick replies. Before they left for another hunt, she'd purchased her own sleeping bag, and always slept on the other end of the tent. Whenever he tried to approach her, she stepped away or tried to talk with someone else. And she was still having problems in battle, adamantly refusing anyone's help. She didn't smile, or make jokes, or do any of those little things he thought were cute or funny. It was like she was a different person entirely, and watching her just made Prompto's heart feel heavy. He just wanted to hear her call him "Prom" again.

His worries only became worse when he realized just how much she was avoiding him. It was unnatural for her to stop talking to him like this, they were best friends. And every time he caught her looking at him, he could see the pain and sadness in her eyes, almost as if she was crying for help but didn't know how to show it. Never in a million years did Prompto even want to consider the possibility, but was her bad mood a result of something he'd done? It had to be, there just wasn't any other option. And if it was possible, he was going to fix it, but he needed to know what he'd done first.

"Uhhhhh..." Noctis wasn't sure about what he should tell him. Prompto still had no idea Katia was his soulmate, and neither did she. Being their friend, he desperately wanted to help them, but he knew these two too well. If he tried telling them the truth, especially with Katia in the state she was in, neither of them would've believed him. However, if he let things continue like this then who knows what would happen? "I mean, she doesn't hate you. I doubt Kat's capable of that."

"Then why is she acting like this? I must have something to do with it!"

He couldn't tell him that it was because she saw him asking Cindy out when she had intended to confess her feelings. That was something they needed to work out. "I don't know, maybe?" Noctis lied, he didn't want to but desperate times called for desperate measures. "Whatever it was, I'm sure it was an accident or something unintentional."

"But then how am I supposed to fix things?"

"Hey, you're the one who knows her the best, not me. And if anyone can get her out of this slump, it's you."

"But I can't even get her to talk to me, Noct. She's avoiding me at every turn!"

"Then be more forceful, ease her in so you can figure out what's wrong. Do things that make her happy."

"And how do you suppose I do that?"

Noctis sat in thought, trying to think of something that could make the push. Before he could say anything, the door to the hotel room swung open and Gladio was walking in with a huge grin on his face. "Yo, I just found out there's a nightclub here!" he shouted, holding up a flyer of some sort. "They have great food, awesome music, and the best drinks in Lestallum! You guys want to join me tonight?"

Of course, that was it! "Sure, in fact, I think we should all go," Noctis said. "Let Ignis and Kat know about the plan, they have to be there as well." Gladio nodded his head and left the room. Prompto just stared at him quizzically.

"Uh Noct, I don't think going to a nightclub is gonna solve anything."

Noctis just smirked, the gears in his head turning. "Just trust me on this one, Prompto. I have a plan."

"If you say so." Prompto took out his camera, looking at the pictures he'd taken on their journey so far. He hadn't really noticed it before, but ever since she joined them he'd been taking a lot of pictures of Katia. Her posing for the camera, her fighting against MTs, her enjoying the scenery, there were even selfies of the two of them. He couldn't help but smile as he looked through them, seeing her smile that showed off the small gap between her front teeth that he couldn't help but find just a little adorable. He wanted that Katia back more than anything.

"You really care about her, don't ya?" Noctis asked, looking over Prompto's shoulder at the pictures.

"Well yeah, why wouldn't I? She's my best friend aside from you. I just want to see her happy, you know?"

"What about you though? Don't you want to be happy?"

"Uhhh, what are you talking about?"

"Nothing, just ignore me."

"Dude, you're not making any sense."

Noctis stood up and headed towards the door. "Like I said, it's nothing. Just forget I said anything." With that, he left the room, leaving Prompto with his camera.

Prompto just kept looking through the photos, Noct's words still on his mind. "Of course I want to be happy," he muttered, despite being the only person in the room. He stopped at a picture he took in front of the Disc, him and Katia standing side by side. He felt weird looking at these pictures now, unable to explain just what his emotions were doing. "But how I can be happy knowing she's not?"

\----------------------------------

"Are we gonna be here for much longer?" Katia asked. She didn't want to come to this place, but Gladio had told her that Noctis had insisted. There was no real choice for her. So here she was, with a drink she didn't really care about and food she'd barely touched.

"What, is it too loud in here for you?" Noctis asked. Katia shook her head.

"No, I just want to leave. I'm not really in the mood for this kind of place, Noct."

"I don't know what's turned you into such a downer, but just give this a shot. Learn to live a little!" Gladio shouted from his seat, clearly drunk. Katia just sighed at him, knowing it was pointless to try and argue with him while he was like that.

Prompto looked over at Katia, not seeing any change in her mood. He nudged Noctis with his elbow. "Hey Noct, just what exactly is this plan of yours again? Because this isn't working." he whispered.

Noctis just smiled back at him. "Relax, I got this," He stood up from the bar. "Hey, I gotta take care of something real quick, I'll be back."

"Very well, we'll be waiting here for your return." Ignis said.

Prompto tried to object, but the words were caught in his throat and Noctis had already left. This left no one in between him and Katia, who had suddenly found an interest in her food. What in the world was Noctis planning and when was it supposed to work? Minutes seemed to pass, with nothing but the music and Gladio's drunken laughter keeping things from being totally silent. Prompto just couldn't sit there and do nothing, who knew when Noct would come back? He quickly moved onto the empty stool next to her, taking a deep breath.

"Kat, did I do some-"

He stopped talking, the opening of a new song playing in both of their ears. They both knew this beat. Prompto felt his phone vibrate and quickly checked it, finding a text from Noctis.

The plan has been set, go get her ;)

He was about to question what Noctis was talking about when he noticed a glimmer in Katia's eyes. Of course, this was one of her favorite songs! But was Noct implying what he thought he was? Well, only one way to find out. He stood up and grabbed her hand, pulling her towards the dance floor.

"P-P-Prompto, what are you doing?" she asked, no idea what was going on.

"What's it look like? I'm taking you to dance, Kat!" Prompto said with a smile, hoping that he could successfully pull this off.

"Dance? No, Prompto, I don't want to-"

"You can't lie to me, Kat. I know you love this song and dance to it all the time. Not even this bad mood can stop that, I know it."

Katia didn't object, knowing this was a losing fight. She just wanted to go back to the hotel, but it seemed impossible at this point. "Fine, let's just get this over with."

The chorus had just kicked in by the time they made it there. Prompto gave Katia some space, allowing her to start dancing on her own. Just as he suspected, she began to move along with the music, her whole body moving with an energy she'd been lacking lately. A small smile began to creep onto her face as the song continued. It was working, she was enjoying herself!

Another song kicked in, surprisingly another one of her favorites, and Prompto couldn't help but notice something about her as she moved on the dance floor. Seeing her smiling again like this, it made him feel warmer inside. Her eyes, which seemed to be full of life again, looked stunning under the the color-changing lights. He had always thought Katia had an adorable charm to her, but seeing her now, happy and moving to the music, Prompto couldn't help but stare at her. In that moment, she looked more beautiful than any other woman he'd ever met.

"Don't just stand there, let's dance!" Katia's voice snapped him from his thoughts as she pulled him closer to her. He never realized just how much he liked hearing her voice until now. The two of them started dancing in sync, as if it was just natural for both of them, as yet another song Katia loved began to play.

Noctis returned to his seat at the bar, a smirk present on his face as he watched his best friends dance. "There you are, Noct. What have you been doing this whole time?" Ignis asked. He and Gladio had been watching the situation unfold before them, with the King's Shield shouting at the two to take it further.

Noctis laughed as he took a sip of his drink. "Oh, let's just say I've been helping a friend."

"So these song choices are not coincidence then."

"Nope, I paid the DJ to play them."

"Do you really think this will work?"

"Only one way to find out, Specs. Plus, if it does work, maybe I can try my skills on you and Eleiza."

"How many times must I tell you that I do not feel interest for that woman?"

"Uh huh, suuuure."

As the music continued playing, Prompto and Katia continued to move along with it. Katia felt lost in the music, her fears and worries disappeared. She'd completely forgotten why she was sad in the first place. Her wrist even seemed to feel warm again. As her and Prompto spun together, she prayed that this moment would never end.

Prompto's own pain seemed to have stopped as well, his wrist feeling warm and his chest feeling light. At least he wanted to say that, but it felt like his heart kept skipping a beat. So many things were starting to make sense to him. Could it really be...

Another song ended as the two of them were face to face, panting from all the dancing. The two of them could only look at each other, as if nothing else existed besides the two of them. Prompto didn't know what to do now. They couldn't keep standing there in silence. Yet he felt his face draw closer to her, as he cupped her face in his hand. There was something he realized, something he had to tell her. "Kat, I think I..."

"YEAH PROMPTO! GO IN FOR THE KILL!" Gladio shouted from the bar.

All of a sudden, reality struck Katia like lightning. Her smile vanished as she stepped away slowly. No, what she wanted was impossible. She already knew Prompto loved someone else, she could never be his. She didn't know why that moment just happened, maybe it was pity or Prompto trying to cheer her up, but it was only a moment. And that's all it ever would be. She looked back at him, seeing a hurt look on his face. "I...I have to go." she said, running out of the nightclub and back to the Leville.

How could she have been so stupid, letting herself get caught up in the moment like that? It wasn't meant to be, it just wasn't. She couldn't let this happen again. She just couldn't.

Back at the nightclub, Noctis and Ignis could only watch as Katia ran out. The entire mood had changed in an instant. Gladio looked around, confused about what just happened. "Did-Did I do something wrong?" he asked. Noctis just sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"I'll be taking my leave, if you don't mind. I wish to make sure Katia makes it back to the Leville safely. If you'll excuse me." Ignis said, standing up and heading outside.

Prompto continued to stand on the dance floor, shocked at what had just happened. It was working, everything was going to be better again. So why didn't it work? Why did she leave like that? He cursed himself, trying to hold back his tears. He should've said something sooner, he should've said it the moment he realized it. Why didn't he tell her? The pain in his chest returned, but he knew well that it wasn't the bond this time, but his own heart breaking. He blew it. Now he'd never fix things with Katia, now he'd never be able to tell her what he stupidly didn't realize until tonight.

He'd never be able to tell Katia that he was in love with her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm terrible, I know. At least Prompto finally stopped being oblivious though! Now things can get rolling!


	12. Chapter 11: Realization

Prompto couldn't sleep. He was lying in the hotel bed, Noctis fast asleep beside him, as he stared at the ceiling lost in his thoughts. This had been happening for a number of days now, as he'd been worried about Katia too much to sleep or would just have nightmares, but now it was different. Now he was kept up by the realization he'd had just hours ago. That he was in love with her.

Honestly, he felt stupid for taking so long to realize it, it was no wonder Noctis kept making fun of them because it was probably obvious to everyone else. But the way he cared about her, worried about her, enjoyed being in her presence, it was all because he loved her. He wanted to make her happy and see her smile every day. He wanted to hold her in his arms when things got too rough for her. He wanted to make her laugh from the silly things he did. He wanted to give her happiness even if it meant she'd be happy with someone else. Especially since there was no way he'd ever be the one she chose.

He still didn't know what he'd done to make her upset so badly. And the events from a few hours ago played in his head, how she smiled as she danced with him and looked at him like he was the only other person. She seemed so happy, so why did she back away so suddenly like she was doing something wrong? And even without all that mess, he knew how much Katia wanted to find her soulmate. He'd never seen her marking before, but she talked to him about how she felt optimistic about finding her soulmate, even if her father never had. She wanted to find love and was hopeful that they'd love her. Whoever her soulmate was, they were lucky. Katia was so sweet, funny, adorable, it'd be easy for her soulmate to fall for her. After all, it'd been easy for him.

Speaking of soulmates, he felt the burning itching on his mark again. It seemed like for a moment, the pain had vanished and his soulmate had been happy. Maybe it was because they could feel his own happiness? But now that feeling was gone, and the itching continued no matter how hard he scratched at it. He wished it would stop. He'd already been dumped by Cindy, lost any chances he had with Katia, and he'd never find his soulmate. He didn't need a constant reminder that he was fated to never find love.

Maybe he just needed some fresh air, something to get his mind off of his heartbreak.

He slowly sat up and got out of bed, trying to be quiet so as not to wake anyone else up. He knew Noctis was out like a light, and Gladio was passed out from all the liquor as he snored away. Ignis was a light sleeper though, anything could wake him up. It was amazing he was getting any sleep with Gladio snoring in his ear. And as for Katia, he never knew what to expect. He knew she had sleeping problems, and it would take her a while to get to sleep, but he had no idea if she was easily awakened. He looked over to make sure she was sleeping and froze.

In the dim lighting from outside, Prompto could see Katia, lying on the floor in her own sleeping bag, looked unsettled. She looked like she was about to start crying, soft groans escaping her. She was having a nightmare. He wondered what would cause such a thing until he saw a small yellow object lying on the floor a few inches away. It was Squeaky. That's right, she told him the chocobo plushie helped her sleep better. He must've fallen out of the sleeping bag at some point. Well, he figured he should still try to help her, even if she did hate him. He walked over and picked Squeaky off of the floor, opening the sleeping bag just slightly so he could set him back in Katia's arms. She unconsciously grabbed him with her right arm, her face softening as Squeaky was back at her side. Prompto smiled, ready to get back to what he was doing when he noticed something strange.

Her left wrist was uncovered, and he thought he could make out something on there but it was too dark to see. He quickly grabbed his phone from the nightstand and brought it back over. If he saw what he thought he did... He turned it on, hovering it over her arm so the light wouldn't disturbe her, and the sight he saw was enough to send him into shock.

Right there, on her left wrist, was a feather shaped marking that looked extremely familiar. Prompto took his right wrist and put it under the light as well. Just as he thought, it was the same marking as his. It was the exact same chocobo feather, but on the other side of their bodies.

Prompto closed the sleeping bag and put the phone away. This couldn't be happening, there was no way it was real. He pinched himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming, then did it again three more times just to be certain. But nope, he was still standing in the hotel room, knowing that Katia Ferrum, the girl he'd been best friends with for five years and was in love with, was actually his soulmate. The soulmate he was convinced he'd never find and never love him back.

He stepped out onto the balcony, needing fresh air now more than ever. He couldn't help but laugh at the situation. The Astrals must've been playing with him. He'd known his soulmate for all these years, had been her friend for so long, and he'd never even thought that they were bound by fate. Not even when he realized he loved her just hours ago did he think they were soulmates. Six, he was stupid.

Then it hit him and the situation lost all humor to him. The pain he was feeling all this time had been hers. The happy feeling he felt while dancing had also been hers. The reason she was avoiding him since Caem...was it because she knew?

No, no, it couldn't be. Katia had never seen his marking before and there'd never been a moment where she'd have seen it by accident. Sure, she'd seen the barcode, but not the other side of his wrist. It was impossible. So how did she know? He felt like pulling out his hair, nothing was making sense anymore!

He slumped to the ground, sitting up against the wall. "Why me?" he asked. "Of all the people who could be her soulmate, why is it me? I'm not good enough for her, I'm just going to keep hurting her," Tears slipped down his face. "I don't even know why she's upset at me and I'm supposed to know her better than anyone. ...Shit!" He buried his face in his legs, asking countless questions he knew would never be answered. A moment like this should've made him happy, but all he could feel right now was guilt and sadness. She deserved so much better than a loser like him. How was he going to fix things now?

\------------------------

Noctis was surprised to wake up to an empty bed. He knew for a fact that Prompto had been sharing the bed with him, so the lack of him made the king worried. He looked around the hotel room. Gladio was lying in bed still, groaning due to the hangover. Ignis was nowhere to be seen, probably out finding aspirin or something. Katia was still asleep in her sleeping bag, or perhaps she was awake but didn't want to get up yet. He couldn't tell. But Prompto was not in the room.

As he got up out of bed, Ignis walked into the room. "Hey Specs, you know where Prompto is?" Noctis asked.

The advisor set down a bottle of pils next to where Gladio was lying, a glass of water already waiting there. "I believe he got up some point last night and went to the balcony," Ignis explained. "I never heard the door open again, so I can only assume he's still out there."

"Ugggh, can you not talk so loudly?" Gladio groaned, taking the water and chugging down a couple of pills. They certainly weren't going anywhere for a while, not during the morning at least.

Noctis walked over to the balcony and headed outside. Just as Ignis said, Prompto was still out here slumped up against the wall. "Hey, Prompto, you alive there?" he asked, lightly shaking his shoulder in case he somehow fell asleep like that.

Prompto's head slowly moved upwards, his eyes blinking open. He hadn't even realized he'd fallen asleep out here. "Mmmmm...Noct?" he asked, trying to remember what had happened last night. Even though he managed to sleep, he felt so tired. Maybe because a balcony isn't the ideal sleeping spot.

"What're you out here for? Ignis said you came out here last night and never came back in." Noctis took Prompto by the hand, pulling him up so he could stand.

Prompto's eyes shot open, remembering what he saw last night. The feather, the proof of their bond, right there on Katia's wrist. He felt like he was about to cry again, but held himself back. The last thing he needed was to look like a mess. "Noct..." he finally said, trying to figure out how to tell him. "Kat, um, turns out she's..."

"Just spit it out, Prompto."

"She has the same mark as I do. We're soulmates." Prompto expected a reaction of shock, a wide-eyed stare, a gasp, anything. But his best friend remained silent. When he finally looked, Noctis was just grinning.

"It's about time you figured it out."

"Wait, you knew?! How?!"

"I saw her mark myself. She left her arm uncovered and I saw it. She freaked out at first though. Any idea why she did?"

"That doesn't matter, Noct! How long did you know? Why didn't you tell me?"

Noctis sighed. "I found out back in Cape Caem. I'd had my suspicions before that, but never any real proof," Wait, Caem was where the whole mess began. When she started avoiding him. Did she know after all? "And would you have really believed me if I'd told you?" Prompto shook his head. He had a point, if someone else had told him Katia was his soulmate he wouldn't believe it. He'd been convinced that their relationship would never be more than friends, and even if he'd realized his romantic feelings he'd never think it was due to the soulmate bond.

"Does she know? Is that why she's upset at me?"

Noctis shook his head. "Nope, she has no idea. I didn't think it was right to tell her in the state she was in," He glanced inside, seeing that Katia had woken up and was looking around the room. "As for why she's upset, it's a bit more complicated than that."

"Not like it matters," Prompto stared down at his feet, his heart sinking. "I couldn't even tell her that I love her last night, how am I gonna get her to believe we're destined to be together?"

"So you do love her?"

"Of course I do! Kat's the sweetest, kindest, cutest girl out there! She laughs at my stupid jokes, she listens to my problems, and she's soooo pretty."

"Prettier than Cindy?"

"I mean, Cindy's beautiful and all, but Kat's different. Cindy can't compare to her, not in my eyes."

"Then you should tell her that."

Prompto practically jumped out of his skin. "What? Are you crazy? I can't do that!"

"Why not?"

"Because she deserves someone better than me, Noct!"

"Pretty sure the whole soulmate thing makes you the best for her."

"Besides, I just can't tell her when she doesn't even want to look at me!"

"Just tell her. The whole reason she's upset is because she thinks-"

The door opening halted the conversation as Katia walked out onto the balcony. "Oh, Noct. There you are. Iggy said you were out here. There's something I need to-" She turned to see Prompto standing there, looking sadder than ever. It hurt to see him like that, but she told herself not to let her be distracted. "I'm sorry, was I interrupting or something?"

"Nah, I need to head in anyway," Prompto made his way to the door.

"Gladio's hungover, so try not to bother him." Noctis warned.

Before going inside, he stopped next to Katia. He wanted to tell her something, anything, let her know he loved her. But he couldn't do it. "I had fun last night," he managed to spill out. "I hope you did too, Kat." Without waiting for a response, he went inside, leaving her with Noctis.

Noctis sighed, he had to tell her at some point. He'd make sure it'd happen. And she needed to tell him too. "You did look like you were having fun last night." he said, hoping to ignite the spark these two needed.

Katia looked at the ground, her shoes suddenly more interesting. "I guess it's because I forgot the truth or something. That he loves someone else. I don't know." No dice, she was still moping.

"Anyway, you need something from me right? Well what is it?"

Katia took a deep breath, knowing that this wouldn't be easy for her to say. "Okay, so, the thing is... Shit, how do I put this exactly?"

"Just tell me."

"Alright. Here goes. Noct, I think I need to stop travelling with you guys."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> He finally learns the truth! But is it too late to tell her?


	13. Chapter 12: Mending Bonds

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alternative chapter name: Noctis Has To Tell These Two To Stop Being Stupid.

For a moment, Noctis could only stare at her in shock. The last thing he'd expected to come out of Katia's mouth was something like that. "Seriously? You want to leave?" he asked, making absolutely sure that he'd heard her correctly. She nodded her head, unable to look him in the eyes. "Kat, are you sure about this?"

"Honestly? No," Katia answered. "But with everything that's happened lately I just don't think I can stick around. My heart just keeps hurting and I think the only way I can get it to stop is if I stop travelling with you guys. Things are just so weird between me and Prompto, I can't even look at him without feeling upset! It's just better if I leave now so I don't hurt myself any further."

Noctis sighed, he really needed to fix this now. "Kat, that's a stupid excuse to leave. Do you really think being away from Prompto is going to make you feel better? You two need to talk this out already."

"That's easy for you to say. What, am I supposed to go up to him and tell him how he broke my heart without even realizing it and that I'm a jealous person who can't get over it? Especially since it's been a week since I actually talked to him?"

"You two seemed to be enjoying yourselves last night."

"I already told you, it's because I tricked myself into thinking things were different," Tears began to pool in her eyes as her hand shook. "I got so lost in everything that happened that for one moment, I felt like he loved me and only me. That he looked at me the same way he'd look at Cindy or Aranea, and not just as a best friend. But then I snapped out of it, my selfish desires never to be granted, and I remembered how stupid it was to think I could have that. That's when I realized I couldn't stay here, with the rest of you."

"Kat, it's not selfish to want to be with someone you love," Noctis had to do something, there was only so much damage control he could muster. "And if your reason for wanting to leave is just you being unable to tell Prompto the truth, then that's pretty stupid."

"It's not just Prompto!" Her voice raised, almost to a yell. "In case you haven't noticed lately, I can't fight for shit! All my skills just seem to have vanished, my Crownsguard training meaningless! How am I supposed to be useful if I can't swing a weapon without tripping or dropping it? I'd just slow you down, Noct! I don't want to be a burden to the rest of you!"

That's it, he needed to be harsh. Nothing would get through to her otherwise. "You can't fight because you can't focus. You're still shaken up from what happened in Caem to the point that it's affecting you negatively. If you just say something to him, actually talk out your feelings, than maybe you can let go of this."

"I told you, I can't!"

"Fine, so let's say you do stop travelling with us, what'll you do then? You told us yourself you have nowhere to go and no one to look for. And if you can't fight, you can't hunt. You can't hunt, you can't get money. You can't get money, you can't find a place to stay. Did any of that cross your mind at all, Kat?" The young woman was silent, realizing that he was right. Noctis didn't like getting angry like this, but both of them were being ridiculous at this point. If nothing else, he needed to get Katia to reconsider this idea of hers.

She couldn't think of anything to say to him. She really hadn't thought any of this through, but she couldn't stay here and let her heart break further than it already had. "Noct, please, you don't understand..."

Six, why did she have to be so stubborn about this? "You know that Prompto's worried sick about you right?" That seemed to get her head to look up, her eyes finally meeting his. "Ever since you've been acting so distant from him and refused his help, he's been miserable. He's been more concerned about you than his own well-being. Hell, he's gotten this idea that he's done something to make you hate him. Is that really what you want?"

Katia froze. She didn't realize just how much she was hurting Prompto. That was never something she wanted. She couldn't possibly hate him, no matter how upset she was or how broken her heart was. Hating him was just impossible. "N-No, I..."

"Then you two need to talk. Now," He walked over to her, pulling something from out of his pocket and giving it to her. It was the bracelet from Galdin Quay, she thought she'd lost it when she had her breakdown. "Look, there's still some things I need to take care of before heading out to Altissia, guess you could say they're errands. We can't go anywhere until Gladio's hangover dies down. Obviously, you have no idea what you're doing with this plan of yours, so you can stay here in Lestallum while the rest of us go finish that stuff up. You can take the time to figure out if you really want to leave, but when we come back you have to be certain about it. If there's even a shred of doubt or reason for you to stay, you're coming to Altissia with us. Got it?"

Katia looked at him, uncertain as to why he was doing this. "Um, okay. But what about money?"

"I'll have Specs give you enough cash to stay here and get food while we're gone. Will that work?" Katia nodded her head. "Good, now that's the end of that." Noctis began to make his way back inside, hoping this would buy them some time.

"Wait, Noct?" He turned around to see her still standing there, clutching the bracelet in her hand. "Has Prompto really been that worried about me?"

"Oh yeah, he can't even sleep at night. He cares about you a lot, Kat. More than I think you realize. The two of you are also a lot more similar than I think either of you realize." With that, he went back inside. Well, now that he had that settled out, it was time to find Prompto. He had a plan, and this time he was certain it would work.

Back on the balcony, Katia just looked at the bracelet she'd so quickly discarded. She thought she never wanted to see this thing again, but having it back gave her some kind of relief. She couldn't put it on though, it still hurt too much. She stuffed it in her pocket, she'd figure out what to do with it later.

She heard a faint camera shutter. Looking down over the balcony, she saw Prompto with his camera, taking pictures of the city and maybe some selfies. Noct's words echoed back to her. Of course he'd be worried about her, his best friend stopped talking to him for no reason as far as he knew. How could she have been so stupid to not have realized that sooner? It didn't matter what he'd think, she didn't even deserve to be his friend because of how stupid she'd been. Prompto deserved better than someone like her anyway. At least she'd have some time away from him to figure things out. She went back inside, feeling worse than she did when she woke up.

\-------------------------------

He thought that taking pictures would help take his mind off things, photography had never let him down before. But every snapshot Prompto took looked awful to him. He couldn't capture the beauty of Lestallum like he used to. Not even his selfies looked very good. It looked like his eyes were bulging out of his skull, and every smile he made looked too forced. He kept deleting every single photo, he knew he could do better than this, so why wasn't it working?

He looked through some of his more recent shots, maybe looking through them could tell him what was wrong. But he started to notice that even they weren't up to standard. None of them were as bad as the ones he'd just tried taking, but a lot of them were blurry, unfocused, had bad lighting, some of them didn't even follow the Rule of Thirds! He groaned, wondering why his photography had gotten so bad.

"Hey Prompto, you busy?" Noctis' voice snapped him out of his thoughts as he put the camera away.

"Nah, I was just taking bad photos. What's up?" he asked.

"We need to talk. Not here though, let's go by the lookout."

Prompto raised an eyebrow, but didn't object. Whatever this was sounded serious. "Okay. Let's go."

They reached the lookout, and Noctis went straight to the point. "Kat wants to stop travelling with us."

"What?!" Prompto felt his eyes widen in shock. "Please tell me you're joking, Noct!"

"I wish I was," No, no, no, this couldn't be happening. Katia really did hate him, she didn't want to speak to him again, why did he have to learn that they were soulmates? "But I managed to convince her to think it over."

"You did? How?"

"Doesn't matter. The point is, she's gonna be staying here in Lestallum while we handle some last minute things before we go to Altissia. And you're staying here with her."

"Wait, what? But why, Noct?"

"Because the two of you need to fix this mess together, and the only way to do that appears to be isolating you here."

"But Noct, I can't even get her to talk to me, how am I supposed to stay here with her while you're taking care of all those side-quests?!"

"If you'll let me explain, I'll tell you," Prompto shut himself up. Surely he knew what he was doing by leaving them here. "Dancing last night definitely affected her. She's only making herself more miserable by staying away from you. I think if you keep doing things with her, she'll start to open up and get back to her old self. And Lestallum has no shortage of things to do. Once she's started acting like herself again, you two have to talk."

"Noct, I already told you I can't-" He felt a sudden slap on his cheek, interrupting what he was saying. "What was that for?!" he asked, rubbing his face.

"Sorry, but I had to knock some sense into you," Noctis explained. "Because that whole 'you can't tell her' thing isn't gonna cut it. Because if she does decide to stay behind, you'll never be able to tell her anything. She'll never know the truth, you'll never know why she's upset at you. It's now or never, Prompto."

The thought of Katia being left there, their friendship strained forever, scared him. Prompto didn't want her to never speak to her again. He needed to know what was going on, but he couldn't do it, could he? "You're right, but how am I supposed to do stuff with her?"

"You know what she likes to do, go from there and spend time with her. It's not like she has anyone else in Lestallum she can go to. Besides, if there's anyone who can bring back the old Kat, it's you. You have this affect on her that no one else does. You're her soulmate. You can keep telling yourself she deserves better, but you love her and want her to be happy. And that's what she deserves more than anything."

"Okay, but I don't think that'll be enough."

"Just call me if things aren't going so well. I'll give you advice as best as I can. Just be your usual self and try to get her to smile, think you can do that?"

If he was being honest with himself, he didn't think he could. But if Noct believed in him, than that had to mean something, right? He had to try at least, for Katia's sake. "Yeah, I think I can."

"Good. Oh, one last thing. I think this is for you." He pulled something out of his pocket and handed it to Prompto. The blonde was confused at first, but upon seeing what it was, his eyes glowed. It was a necklace, nothing fancy or extravagant, just a simple necklace with chocobo feathers on it. There were multiple colors too. The standard yellow, a beautiful sky blue, and some black ones as well. They were all real feathers too. He could tell just from looking at them. And they weren't plucked off either.

"Is this...a chocobo feather necklace?" he asked, still in awe over what he was holding.

"It sure is. Kat made it herself, she even looked for the feathers and everything."

Prompto turned his gaze away from the necklace. "Wait, she did? Just for me?"

"Yep."

"But why do you have it Noct? Shouldn't this be with her stuff or something?"

"She dropped it on the ground and never picked it up. So I held onto it. You should show it to her when you tell her the truth. I think she'd like to know it made it to its intended owner. And no, she won't think you stole it."

Prompto just looked back at the necklace in his hands. She went to all the trouble of collecting those feathers just for him? He swore the thought made him fall for her even more. Just holding it was giving him a confidence he didn't have before. "Alright Noct, I'm gonna fix this. Then I'm gonna tell her that I love her. That we're soulmates." Noctis just smiled. Things would be just fine after all, he could feel it.

\------------------------------

The next day came, Gladio's hangover finally gone, and the boys were heading out to the Regalia. Katia walked there with them, figuring this could be the last time she might see them and wanting a proper farewell just in case. Though it'd only been a day and she was already starting to have doubts about her staying behind. But she had to figure this out, and perhaps some alone time was just the way to do it. At this point, she just wanted her wrist to stop feeling cold.

Noctis and Gladio had already gotten in the car, while Ignis stood just beside the car door counting out their gil. Surprisingly, Prompto hadn't gotten in the car yet and was just standing there watching the adviser. She'd expected him to have gotten in the front seat with a sad look on his face. Yet there he was, standing there and trying to smile. What was going on?

"Now you're sure you want to do this?" Ignis asked, looking away from the money and at her.

"Yeah, I have to." she said.

"I suppose that means I'll get some peace and quiet for a while then," Katia wanted to make some snappy comeback, but she just didn't have it in her. Ignis pulled out a sum of money and handed it to her. It seemed pretty large for one person. Before she could ask though, her thoughts were answered. "Here you are, that should be more than enough to take care of the hotel and whatever meals you decide to purchase. I can only hope the two of you don't spend it all in one day."

"Wait a sec Iggy, did you say 'the two of us'?"

"Of course I did. I was told that you and Prompto were waiting here while the rest of us dealt with unfinished business."

Prompto laughed sheepishly, not that much effort being put into it. "Surprise?"

Katia could only glare at Noctis, who looked pretty pleased with himself, knowing this was his doing. The last thing she needed was to be around Prompto right now, not while she was figuring things out. "In any case, I'm trusting you with the money, Katia. Whatever you two plan on doing, try not to go too expensive. Should any problems arise, you need only call. We shall return in a few days. And don't get into trouble."

"Come on Ignis, you can trust us," Prompto said. "We're not like Noct, you don't have to watch over us like you do him," Noctis briefly glared at him. "Everything will be fine, promise."

"I'll hold you to that. We'll be on our way now."

Without getting a chance to ask any questions or raise an objection, Ignis took his place in the drivers seat and drove off, leaving a confused Katia with Prompto. There was an awkward silence, neither of them knowing what to say.

"So why didn't you go with them?" Katia finally spoke up. She couldn't avoid Prompto anymore, she was stuck with him. And after the conversation she had with Noctis yesterday she couldn't just stay silent.

Prompto looked surprised at the question. He didn't expect her to be the first one to talk. He took a deep breath before responding. "Isn't it obvious? We're gonna be heading out for Altissia soon and there's still a lot we haven't gotten to do here. I want to have some last-minute fun with my best friend. There's nothing wrong with that, is there?" He wasn't lying, but he was still hiding the truth from her. He just hoped it was convincing enough for her to believe.

"I guess not. It just seems strange I guess."

"Come on Kat, you know me. It's not that strange. Now come on, there's a lot to do and we're wasting time just standing here."

"I-I don't know Prompto, I don't think I'm up for much of anything right now."

Prompto grabbed a hold of her hand, giving her a smile as bright as the sun. Katia thought she felt heat rushing to her cheeks, internally begging for it to stop. She couldn't let herself think for a moment that it was possible, she'd already resigned herself to being nothing more than a friend. "Sorry, but that excuse is officially unusable. You and I are gonna have some fun around here, and no excuses are allowed. Now come on, I think we need to get some ice cream!" And with that, Prompto led her towards the ice cream shop. For just a moment, she thought she felt her wrist feel the tiniest bit warmer.


	14. Chapter 13: We're Both Kinda Stupid

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now these two finally stop being idiots and realize they love each other, get ready for emotional stuff followed by fluff.

"Hey Prompto, what's up? Any luck with Kat?" Noctis' voice rang through the phone speaker.

Prompto sighed, slumping into the seat in the Leville's lobby. "No, not really," he said. "I mean, I didn't expect this to be easy, but it doesn't feel like I'm making any progress."

"Huh? But it's been three days now. How has nothing happened?"

"I don't know, I keep doing stuff with her around the city like you told me to. Taken her out to eat, gone to a movie, you name it. We've probably done it."

"And she hasn't changed at all?"

"That's the weird part, whenever we do something I see her smile, feel her happiness, and then I think to myself that this is the moment, I have to tell her. But then it's like she's snapping out of a trance or something, she goes back to being sad and tries making up an excuse to leave. It's like she wants to be happy but she's holding herself back. I'm running out of things to do that'll make her happy. What do I do, Noct?"

The other end of the phone went silent for a moment. He thought he heard some muttering, likely Ignis and Gladio giving their thoughts. "Okay, don't wait until the moment's right. The next time she looks happy, you tell her. No beating around the bush, no stalling, you just tell her. Got it?"

That wasn't the advice he was looking for, but it was better than nothing he guessed. "Sure, I can try that. Might as well get it over with. Let's just hope it works."

"It's bound to bring out some kind of response," Noctis sounded confident, as if he knew this would work. "Well, I won't keep you hanging. Go get her, Casanova."

"Dude, don't call me that! I'm no Casanova."

"Whatever, just go tell her already." The phone hung up, leaving Prompto in a silent room. Noctis was right, it was about time he told her. Katia must've been awake by now, might as well go tell her the plan for today. He headed up the stairs, going to the room they'd booked.

He opened the door and found her sitting on the bed, staring at a blank page in her sketchbook. She didn't even notice he'd walked in. Probably lost in her thoughts again. He put on a smile and walked over to her. "Morning, Kat!"

Her head shot up as she glanced at Prompto. "Oh, yeah, morning." she said.

"So I found out there's an arcade here!" Prompto figured it was best to bring out the big guns, there's no way Katia would be able to resist a good video game hub. "It's not as big as the one we used to hang at, but they still have a ton of games to play! So after getting breakfast, we can go over there and-"

"Prompto, why are you doing all this?" A sudden question broke through his explanation, causing Prompto to go silent. Katia didn't say anything else, so he just asked what was on his mind.

"What d'you mean? I told you I wanted to spend time with you, remember?"

"There's some other reason, isn't there?" she asked. "This isn't just about spending time with me. Did Noct put you up to this? I already know he's the reason you stayed behind. So what's his goal here? Did he bribe you to stay and make me feel better?" With every word she spoke, she started to sound angrier. "Are you just doing all of this out of pity for me?" She stood up to face him directly.

No, no, no! This wasn't right at all! "Kat, what's gotten into you?"

"Just answer the damn question, Prompto!" She was almost shouting, and the anger in her eyes made him want to cry. How did things get like this?

"No, he didn't bribe me. This isn't out of pity, or anything like that!" He tried to keep his emotions in check, the last thing they needed was the both of them getting hysterical. "Come on Kat, you know me better than that! I'm doing all this because I care about you!"

"Yeah, sure, you care about me! That's why until now you didn't speak to me, because you were soooo worried about your best friend!"

"You're not even making any sense! I tried to talk to you and approach you but you kept avoiding me at every turn!" Now he was starting to feel angry, but he had to stay calm. Otherwise things would only get worse. "Just listen to yourself!"

"Well maybe I don't want you to help me! Maybe I just want to be left alone! Is that too much to ask for?!" She could feel tears in the back of her eyes, trying to break free. She couldn't let them through though.

"Is that why you want to leave so badly? Because you can't stand being around me anymore?" He never wanted to make that accusation but the words slipped from his mouth before he could stop them.

"You wouldn't understand, Prompto!"

"I would if you just talked to me! How can I understand if you don't tell me anything?" Prompto's own tears began to fall. He never wanted to fight with Katia, but she just wasn't listening to reason. All the frustration and sadness that'd been building up since they left Caem had reached a boiling point. And it seems like hers was as well.

"What do you want me to tell you? It's not like I can just come up to you and confess that I love you, now can I?!"

Prompto went silent, his anger evaporating. The moment she realized what she'd just said, Katia stepped back in shock. She just said that. He knew. And now he was going to hate her for being so shallow and jealous. The tears she'd been trying to hold back broke free, and she fell to her knees. She couldn't even muster any words, she just sat there and cried into her hands.

Prompto stood there, processing what he'd just heard. Part of him wanted to celebrate, knowing that she loved him back, but the other part couldn't. Not just because she was sobbing on the floor, but because there was something else going on that he didn't understand. Well, the first thing he needed to do was get her to calm down. He kneeled down to her level, holding back the urge to place a hand on her shoulder in fear that she'd back away. "Kat, do you really love me?" he asked, feeling like he needed to confirm it for certain.

"Why do you care?" she said though her sobs, not yet hyperventilating but clearly on the verge of it. "It's not like it matters!"

"What are you talking about? Why wouldn't it matter?" He spoke in the most calming voice he could, he had to approach this in a specific way.

"Because you already love someone else! And no matter what, I can't be like Cindy or Aranea! And I'm a selfish, jealous person who can't get over this! Not after seeing you confessing to Cindy or how you look at Aranea!"

So that was it. This whole mess started because she saw him ask Cindy out. That explained the pain in his chest he felt after he was turned down. Noctis was right, Katia never hated him. She loved him but thought she'd already lost her chance. Six, he felt like an idiot for not realizing it sooner. It felt completely obvious.

"Kat, Cindy rejected me and Aranea's way out of my league." he told her. He could still fix this. He just had to go slow.

"So? What does that have to do with anything?"

"Because I don't love them," Katia moved her hands from her face, a sniffle coming out of her as she tried to stop crying. "I mean, Cindy's amazing and all, but I realized I didn't love her when she rejected me. And Aranea's cool too, but I never even thought of trying to win her over. I was too worried about you. Besides, why would I care if you felt jealous about them?"

"I...I don't..." She tried to speak, but she couldn't form the words in her head. Now she felt stupid about all this. She knew better than to think that Prompto would care about such a thing. She was caught up in her heartbreak the entire time.

Well, she wasn't completely calm, but at least now she wouldn't back away from him. Feeling bold, Prompto lifted Katia off the floor and took her into his arms. It felt nice, warm, comforting. So this was what is felt like to hold your soulmate. He didn't want to let her go.

Katia didn't understand what was happening. She'd never been hugged by Prompto before, yet it felt so nice. Almost like she was supposed to be there. But as much as she wanted to enjoy the feeling, there were too many questions holding her back. "Prompto, why are you hugging me?"

"Isn't it obvious?" He felt her shake her head. "It's 'cause I love you."

"I know, I know, I'm your best friend and all-"

"No Kat, I'm _in_ love with you."

What did he just say? There's no way he could be telling the truth. Katia stepped out of his embrace, an attempt at smiling on her face that just looked extremely forced. "Ahahaha, that's a good joke there! You almost got me for a second!" She tried to force a happy tone, but it too just sounded awkward. She laughed, trying to make sense of the situation. He probably said that to make her feel better, yeah, that's it.

Prompto just frowned, she still didn't get it. He had to convince her and he didn't want to resort to the marking just yet. "Kat, I'm not joking. I'm serious. I do love you."

The uncomfortable laughter stopped, Katia struggling to hold her facade up. "Oh come on Prompto, you don't need to say that just to make me feel better. I've already accepted that I'm not gonna find love, especially not with you. So thanks for trying and all, but you can stop now." Tears were threatening to slip down her face again.

Prompto took a deep breath. He had to break this idea or else she'd never accept it. "Kat, why do you love me?"

She was startled by the sudden question. "Wh-What? Why are you-"

"Just answer the question. Tell me why you love me."

Katia stood there in thought for a moment, thinking over all the reasons she had. "Um, I love you because of your kindness. You're funny, interesting, energetic, I could go on really. You're always there for me when I'm upset, doing your best to make me smile again even in the worst circumstances," Kinda like now, not that she'd say it out loud. "You seem to know just what I need to hear before I do. And honestly, you're adorable. I love your smile, your freckles, your hair that looks like a chocobo, your eyes, your jokes, your voice, everything about you is so adorable to me. You're like living sunlight, always there to brighten up my day and shining as bright as you can. With all that in mind, how could I not love you?" A genuine smile finally graced her face.

Prompto felt like he was on the verge of tears, happy ones though. He just didn't get how Katia could see all that and more in him. "But compared to the others, I'm just a nobody. I'm not smart like Ignis, I'm not strong like Gladio, and I'm not royalty like Noct. There's a ton of better options out there for you, and yet you pick me."

Katia walked back over to him, wiping away a stray tear he didn't realize had escaped. "But I don't care about any of those things. I don't want royalty, or strength, or intelligence. Besides, Noct's not my type and is supposed to get hitched, Gladio's got nice muscles but isn't what I'm looking for, and Ignis has his own love life to figure out since we all know he's into you-know-who. That and he's too uptight for me. I don't want any of them, I want you. Because you're you. Because there's no one else like you in all of Eos."

Six, she was making him fall for her even more without even trying. "That's how I feel about you. You're sweet and kind, always worrying about others. You laugh at my jokes no matter how stupid they are. You're smart, smarter than you realize. You're passionate over whatever you love or set your mind too. You know about the side of me that I try to hide, and yet you still love me despite all that. Not to mention you're both beautiful and adorable at the same time," He brushed a strand of hair out of her face. "You're right, you can't be like Cindy or Aranea. But that doesn't matter because I don't want you to be like Cindy or Aranea. I want you because you're you. I love you for who you already are, Kat. And there's no one in all of Eos who comes close to you. No one could be a better fit for me."

Katia felt her heart skip a beat. That was too elaborate to be a joke or a lie or just something being said to make her feel better. This was real. Prompto loved her. And as much as she wanted to be happy about that, there was still one nagging question at the back of her mind. "Okay, you love me, I can't deny that. But surely there's someone out there who's a better fit for you. What about your soulmate? I mean, I already gave up on looking for mine because you make me happy, but surely yours is out there somewhere ready to make you happy, right?"

This was it. He could finally tell her. "I don't need to look for my soulmate," Prompto removed everything from his right arm, showing her his wrist. Katia looked confused at first, why show her his wrist when she'd already seen it herself? But then she realized what was there, and her eyes widened. "I've already found her, and she's right in front of me."

Katia slipped off her wristband, comparing the mark she was staring at to her own. Sure enough, it was the exact same chocobo feather mark, in the exact same place but mirrored. She'd been by her soulmate the whole time and never noticed. How could she be so stupid? "Wait, how did you know..." she tried to say, but couldn't finish the question.

"The night we were at the nightclub, you'd been tossing in your sleep. Squeaky was just lying there on the floor, so I thought I should bring him back to you and that's when I saw it," He took hold of her hand. "That's how I learned we were soulmates."

He squeezed her hand, and Katia felt the ever familiar warmth from it. But now she understood why she felt it, it was the marks reacting to each other. The more she thought about it, the stupider she felt for not realizing it sooner. "No wonder Noct was always teasing us, the little shit probably knew all along," she laughed. "How is it that he knew but I couldn't figure it out? I'm such an idiot."

Prompto chuckled as well. "Hey, I didn't realize it either until four days ago. So I guess that means we're both idiots."

"Yeah, we're both kinda stupid then. We'd have to be to not realize we've been in love with each other this whole damn time."

The two of them just looked at each other, awkward smiles on their faces. Suddenly, Katia tackled Prompto into a hug, sending them both on the bed's surface. They looked into each others eyes, knowing exactly what the other was thinking without even saying it. And it was something they both wanted for a long time. Without hesitation, Prompto wrapped his arms around her as their lips pressed against each other. They had no idea what they were doing, neither of them had any experience in kissing before, but they didn't care. In that moment, after letting out all those pent-up emotions and feelings they had for each other, this felt right. As the kiss prolonged, their bodies felt warmer. Was this what it was like to kiss your soulmate? Because they could get used to this.

They finally separated, the two of them rolled onto their sides. Their breathing felt heavy and their hearts were racing. In the back of their minds, the realization that they just kissed came to them, causing both of them to go red in the face. They sat up, unsure of what to say to each other.

"So, um, that was awkward..." Katia finally spoke up, a nervous laugh escaping her.

"Isn't that how a first kiss is supposed to be?" Prompto asked.

"Yeah, I guess so. ...It felt really good though."

"Yeah..."

More silence. Katia's hand inched towards Prompto's, taking hold of it. She would've prefered to stay there like that, but a question broke through the silence.

"Does this mean you'll stay with us? To go to Altissia I mean." Prompto asked.

Katia thought about it. Just moments ago she'd been teetering on the edge of leaving or staying, but after all that just happened she knew exactly what she wanted. Being with Prompto made her happy, being with her made him happy. She'd stuck around this long, there was no good reason for her to stop now. Besides, she'd probably just be worried sick about him if she didn't go with him. She edged back to his side, resting her head on his shoulder. "Yeah, I'm gonna stay. Someone has to keep you out of trouble after all."

Prompto's chest felt lighter than air. This was the Katia he wanted to see, the Katia he fell in love with. And now she was back. "I love you Kat."

"I love you too, Prom."

Yep, that solidified it, Katia was back to her old self. He never wanted to see her like that again, for any reason. He swore to himself that he'd never make her sad again, that she'd never fall into that state ever again.

"So what do we do now?" Katia asked, separating herself from Prompto.

"Well, there's still the whole arcade thing if you're up to it. Though we should still go get some breakfast-"

Katia giggled. "No Prom, I meant about us. Are we a couple now, should we even jump into that? I don't know how this whole soulmate thing works."

"Oh. That's what you meant." He sat there in thought for a moment. "I mean, I wanna be your boyfriend. Would you be okay with that?"

"...Yeah, I want you to be my boyfriend. And I wanna be your girlfriend."

"So I guess we're dating then."

"Though knowing us, we probably have been this whole time without realizing it." Both of them laughed at that comment.

"Fair enough." Prompto jumped off the bed and held his hand out for Katia. "How about we celebrate our official first date with some breakfast though?"

She stood up as well. "That sounds like a good idea to-OH CRAP."

Prompto was startled by the sudden yell. "What's wrong?"

Katia searched through her pockets, frantically looking for something. "No, no, no, don't tell me I lost it! I had something I wanted to give you but now I can't find it! I worked so hard on it too!"

Prompto looked through his pockets, finding the chocobo feather necklace Noctis had handed him. "You wouldn't be talking about this, would you?" He held it out for her to see.

"Yes, but, how'd you find it? I wanted to surprise you with it."

"Noct found it. Told me I should hang on to it until this moment," He slipped it on, the colors standing out a bit compared to his Crownsguard outfit. "If it helps, I was surprised when Noct showed it to me. I love it. Thanks Kat."

His smiles could just melt her heart, and she swore he knew that now. "That's good. Let's go get some food, I'm super hungry."

"Wait, one last thing!" Before she could ask, Prompto dug out his camera. "Gotta take a special picture to celebrate us becoming a couple!" Of course that's what he wanted. Not that she minded. She was perfectly happy to take a picture with him. She stood next to him as the camera was pointed their way. "You ready?" She nodded her head. She expected him to tell her to say cheese, but instead she felt a kiss being left on her cheek as the camera took the photo. Not that she would complain. She was just happy all this weirdness was over. That she was with her soulmate, Prompto Argentum.

\--------------------------------

Noctis was surprised to hear his phone go off for the second time that day. Thankfully they'd just dealt with the hunt they took on, so he was free to answer it. Not even looking at the caller ID, he answered the phone. "You okay Prompto?"

"You bet I'm okay! I'm on top of the world, Noct!" Prompto's cheery voice sounded from the other end.

"So I take it that you finally confessed?"

"You could say that. It's a little complicated. Point is, Kat's back to normal and we're sort of a couple now."

"Sort of?"

"You know what I mean. Anyway, she's decided to stay with us! We're about to head out for a nearby hunt to make sure she's in top condition, but the next chance you get you should come pick us up in Lestallum. We won't need to be staying here anymore."

"Got it. I'll let Specs know to head over there asap. You two take care of your business and we'll meet you at the usual parking spot."

"Awesome! I'll let Kat know! See you guys soon!" Prompto hung up.

Noctis put his phone away and chuckled. He knew they'd spit things out if he just left them alone. He turned around to Gladio and Ignis, who were dusting themselves off from the fight. "Hey Ignis, let's hit the road! We have to pick up Prompto and Kat!"

"Very well. I suppose all good things must come to an end eventually." Ignis said, earning him a playful punch in the arm from Gladio.

"Aw don't deny it, you like those two kids." he said.

Ignis didn't respond and simply went to the Regalia. "I'll get the car started." Gladio followed behind him until Noctis held him back with his arm.

"I believe you owe me 500 gil."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before you go thinking we're at the end here, nope, not yet. These two still got a lot to deal with before this can end. Consider the next few chapters to be the calm before the storm in a sense. Also have a chapter number so you know how much is left.


	15. Chapter 14: Calm Before The Storm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, I had problems with this chapter so it might not be the best I've made. But it's sorta filler anyway so maybe it doesn't matter? Oh well, have some backstory.

"Can't believe I'm finally in Altissia. After all this time, I didn't think I'd actually get here." Katia said, taking in the ocean's scent. It felt nostalgic to her.

"Don't you mean _we're_ finally in Altissia?" She felt a hand grab her own, the warmth spreading through her, as she looked at Prompto.

"Specifics. You get what I mean, Prom." she scoffed. She couldn't believe she was actually standing here, with Prompto and the others by her side. Her original plan to surprise them here felt like ages ago now. But now she was here, though not for a wedding like she'd expected. They were here on business, they had to find Lunafreya and make sure she was okay.

"So we have to find this Wheskam guy," Gladio said. "Some place called Maagho, right?"

"That is what Cid told us." Ignis said.

"Any idea where this place is, Kat?" Prompto asked.

Katia shrugged her shoulders. "Nope, no idea."

"Why would she know anyway?" Noctis asked.

"Oh yeah, I never told you, did I? This isn't the first time I've been to Altissia."

"But I thought you've never been outside the Crown City."

"Not since my dad found me and brought me there."

"Found you? What do you mean by that?" Ignis asked.

Katia took a deep breath. She knew she'd have to spill it at some point. "Stabilis Ferrum isn't my father by blood. When I was six years old, he found me here and took me in as his daughter. He brought me to Insomnia and I never left until recently."

"If you're adopted, then what happened to your real parents?" Gladio asked.

"That's the thing. I don't know," Katia answered. "I can't remember anything before that. All I know is that I found myself here and I'd been running from something. I don't know where I came from, where my real parents are, I don't even know I got to Altissia in the first place. I've tried to remember but no luck."

"So you're not from Insomnia then?" Noctis asked.

"Who knows? Maybe I'm not," Katia said. "But it doesn't matter. My dad is my dad, regardless if I'm not his own flesh and blood. I'm a Lucian from Insomnia, no matter where I came from. I'm still me, and nothing can change that."

"Have you ever tried to find out the truth about your past?" Ignis asked.

"Nope. My dad never knew the answers and I had no way of figuring it out with no leads. As far as I'm concerned, the past isn't important. I'm living my life and that's all that matters. Besides, I don't know why, but I have this feeling that I don't want to know the truth. That if I remember anything or discover the truth, I won't like what I learn. So I'd rather stay ignorant."

"You've been pretty quiet over there, Prompto. Don't you have any questions?" Noctis asked.

"No, I knew this stuff already," Prompto said matter-of-factly. "I always knew Kat was adopted, she told me a long time ago."

"Guess that isn't much of a surprise," Noctis stepped to the front of the group. "Well, let's go find this Wheskam guy then. No point in standing around."

"But Noooooct, can't we explore the city first?" Prompto asked. "It's not like we have to go there right away, we don't even know where it is."

"We've spent enough time dawdling. We need to get to business and find Lady Lunafreya." Ignis stated.

"Awww, come on Iggy! Don't be such a downer! There's no harm in taking a look around, especially since we don't know where we're going!" Katia said.

"You know they're not gonna stop asking until we give in, right?" Gladio whispered into the advisers ear.

Ignis let out a sigh. "Fine. We can look around the city, but only for a few hours. Then we go straight back to locating the Maagho."

Katia and Prompto shot their fists in the air, letting out a simultaneous "Yes!" as they ran ahead.

"They really are perfect for each other." Noctis laughed, running after them so they wouldn't get lost.

\--------------------------

Katia looked out over the water, taking in the sights of the city. It was breathtaking. She'd never had a chance to truly appreciate it all those years ago. At the time she was so confused and out of it that her surroundings never registered with her. But now here she was, the most beautiful city in all of Eos. It felt like a dream that she'd wake up from at any moment. That is, until she felt arms wrap around her from behind.

"You enjoying the view, babe?" Prompto asked. Katia felt herself melt at the new nickname. It'd only been a few days but just hearing him call her that put her in a state of bliss. It wasn't even a special nickname, but the fact it was coming from Prompto made it feel magical.

"Yeah, it's beautiful." she replied, still looking out at the gondolas passing by.

"Not as beautiful as you though." It took a moment for what he said to register, but she laughed at it all the same.

"When did you get so corny?" she asked.

"I thought that's what you're supposed to say to your girlfriend!"

"Prom, you don't have to start talking like some cheesy novel. I already love you more than anything," She left his grasp and turned around to face him. "Save that stuff for when the guys are paying attention. It's fun watching them try to deal with us acting all mushy."

Prompto snickered at the thought. "Yeah, I don't think I've ever seen Noct look so disgusted in my life!"

"And this is the same guy who complained about having to go after a bean supply." The two laughed at the memory, having a bit too much fun at their best friends expense. The laughter died down and the two just looked at each other.

"It's too bad we can't be here for longer, huh?" Prompto asked.

Katia sighed. "Yeah. I mean, it's only been a few hours and I still feel like there's so much more to see! But we have a job to do, and that's making sure Lady Lunafreya is safe."

"We should come back here someday then."

"Huh? You sure?"

"Well why wouldn't I wanna come back here with you, Kat? This place is amazing!"

"...You know, I heard they hold some kind of festival here in Altissia. The Moogle Chocobo Carnival I think it's called."

Prompto's eyes began to light up and a wide grin spread across his face. "Seriously? An entire carnival about chocobos?!" Six, he was adorable like this. It was enough to make her wonder if he loved chocobos more than her. She'd have to tease him about that later.

"Yep! I've never been myself, but they have tons of games, lots of decorations, delicious food, it's got everything! And it's all chocobo themed. Well, moogles too, but you know what I mean."

Prompto nearly jumped in place out of excitement. Something like that was sure to be the best carnival ever! He simply had to go! "That settles it! Next chance we get, I'm gonna take you here to Altissia so we can enjoy every day of that carnival!" he said, sweeping Katia up in another hug.

"But I don't even know when they hold it. It might not happen for a long time, you know."

"Don't care, we'll go to it someday! I mean, why wouldn't I want to go to a carnival about one of my favorite things and take my favorite person with me?"

Katia rolled her eyes. "Oh come on, just because I'm your soulmate can't make me your favorite person."

"It's got nothing to do with that."

"Whatever you say, my Sunshine Chocobo." Prompto wasn't the only one who could break out the nicknames. Katia felt his grip loosen as he took the moniker in. He had a look of pure bliss on his face, a content sigh escaping him.

"Kaaaaat, you're too adorable!" he whined. "It's not fair for me! How am I supposed to deal with so much cuteness?"

Katia just giggled, leaving a kiss on his cheek so his face would go red. It probably shouldn't have, considering they already made out, but it was fun to watch him get flustered nonetheless. "Hey, not my fault you find me so cute."

"Ah there you are," The two turned at Noctis' voice, seeing the other three standing there. "We gotta get going. Specs is getting all fidgety about finding that Maagho place."

"Ah well, it was fun while it lasted," Katia seperated herself from Prompto's embrace, opting to hold his hand instead. "Let's get going, honey buns!" She gave him a smirk, alerting him to play up the sappiness.

"You got it, my little sugar bear!" There was a collective groan from Noctis and Gladio. Ignis said nothing, but just shook his head in disappointment.

"Do you two _have_ to do that?" Noctis asked.

Katia responded with a smirk of her own. "But Noct, you were the one who was pushing us to get together, weren't you? This is what you wanted, right?"

"I swear, the two of you are too much sometimes."

"You know you love us though."

The group began to walk onward, their search for Wheskam resumed. Prompto leaned over and whispered so only Katia could hear. "I'm serious about taking you to that carnival, you know."

"I figured. Let's just hope this whole Leviathan thing doesn't ruin those plans. I'm looking forward to that date and I don't wanna be let down." Despite having the thoughts of the carnival dancing in her head, Katia felt a shiver shot down her spine. She had a bad feeling that things were about to go wrong. Terribly, horribly wrong.


	16. Chapter 15: Altissia Aftermath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, more filler, but I needed it okay? I promise the next chapter will get back to the story at hand.

Katia could only stare out of the window, looking at the city of Altissia. Just a few day ago, she'd been out on the streets having a great time with her friends. But now? Now such an idea was impossible. Leviathan had caused damage to the city, Lady Lunafreya was killed during the rite, Ignis had gone blind, and Noctis was laying in a bed unconscious. She didn't even know what Gladio was going through, he'd locked himself in his room after everything had happened. All they could do was wait for Noctis to wake up, and they didn't even know when that would be. She let out a huge sigh, wondering how this whole thing had happened.

"You okay there, Kat?" Prompto asked from his position on the bed. She turned away from the window to face him, being greeted with his worried expression. She tried to smile at him, but couldn't completely muster it.

"Don't you already know the answer?" she asked, intending for it to be a joke but her tone making it sound harsher than she meant. Prompto got up and walked over to her, wordlessly hugging her in an attempt to help. "I'm just worried about what's happening. I mean, Gladio's holed himself away, Iggy's blind, Noct's been sleeping for two days, and we're stuck here unable to do anything except wait."

"Things could be worse, something could've happened to us out there." Katia wrapped her arms around Prompto, squeezing him tight and taking in his warmth.

"Something still could, though," she said. "I have this bad feeling that we're not out of danger just yet."

She felt small circles being rubbed into her back as Prompto left a brief kiss on her cheek. "Things'll work out eventually," he reassured. "How 'bout we just try to play some King's Knight or something? It'll help distract you from that bad feeling."

Katia smiled. He always did whatever he could to reassure people and put a smile on their face. Just one of the many reasons she loved him. "Yeah, no point moping around and feeling anxious. King's Knight sounds like a great idea."

Prompto smiled, letting go of her and making his way back to the bed. Katia was about to follow until an all too familiar pain suddenly spiked up in her head. Another headache, but why now? Prompto noticed instantly, likely because he felt the pain too because of the bond, and brought her into the bed. So much for King's Knight. "The headache's back."

"Yep, kinda noticed that," Katia said, lying down and trying to deal with the pain. "But why now? I've barely had any headaches since I left Insomnia. The last one was back when Ardyn was taking us to the Disc, and that was weeks ago," Or at least it felt like it was. This trip had been going for so long that it felt hard to tell. "I mean, I don't mind having barely any headaches, but it keeps feeling weird."

Prompto joined her on the other side of the bed. "We can probably worry about it later. Let's focus on it going away first."

Not that there was any way to make it go away. These headaches were strange. They just went away on their own. And the last thing she wanted to do was sit in silence while waiting for it to stop. She supposed that now was the right time to tell him that thing she had on her mind. "Prom, I have something I need to tell you."

"Hm? What is it, babe?"

"I...I remember our first meeting."

There was no answer at first, a small chuckle from Prompto breaking the silence. "Well I'd sure hope so. I'd be bummed out if you forgot how we met in high school. It was only five years ago."

Katia wanted to shake her head, but the pounding in the right side of her head kept her from doing so. "No, that's not what I meant. I mean our real first meeting."

Prompto just looked confused, but realization slowly set in and his eyes went wide. "Wait, by first meeting you don't mean back when I was..." He couldn't get the rest of the words to come, but she finished the sentence for him.

"Back when you were chubby and wore glasses? Yeah, I do."

Prompto didn't know what to say. So many potential responses went through his head, but he couldn't pick one out. "I guess that's the nicest way to put it." he settled on.

"What? It's true. You were all cute and chubby back then," Katia smiled at the memory of the shy boy who always carried his camera around. "I was really surprised when I saw you in high school, you know. You looked like a different person."

"Wait, you've known it was me the whole time?"

"Well of course I did," She leaned closer to him, resting her hand on his shocked face. "I mean, how many people out there have blond hair, freckles, blue eyes, and the name 'Prompto Argentum'? You're one of a kind, after all."

As much as he wanted to appreciate her kind words, there were still so many questions. "So if you've known it was me the whole time, how come you've never said anything?"

"I dunno. I guess because you never said anything about it. I thought that maybe you forgot or just didn't wanna talk about it. Especially since you'd changed a lot."

Prompto looked away, feeling guilty about himself. "You weren't wrong," He turned on his side, his back facing her. "I didn't wanna talk about it because I thought you were still upset about it."

Katia sat up so she could see his face. "Why would I be upset about that? I understand why you did it, it's not like I was ever mad at you or anything."

"But I told you not to talk to me ever again. You can't tell me that didn't hurt you."

Katia sighed and began playing with his hair. "I mean, sure, I felt sad at the time. But I know you only did that because you were worried about me. We weren't the most popular kids after all. And besides, we were eight. Do you really think I'm gonna hold you to something that happened twelve years ago?"

Prompto knew the answer to that question. She wasn't the type to hold a grudge, even if he thought she should. "Still, what I did was selfish."

"No it wasn't," Katia lied back down, hugging Prompto from behind. "You were worried about what might happen to me, that I was going to be bullied even worse than I already was. And you did what you thought was best. Nothing selfish about that. It just means you've always cared about me."

Prompto felt a tear slide down his face. He turned around to face her again, seeing the warmth in her eyes and smile. "Six, Kat, what did I do to deserve you?" he asked.

"You talked to me, that's what." she joked.

The two of them stayed there on the bed, reminiscing over the time they spent as kids. It certainly managed to remove any worries Katia was feeling earlier, how could she stay sad when they talked about such a time? The hours seemed to pass, and the headache finally died down. As the conversation came to lull, she got up and headed towards the door. "Where're you going?" Prompto asked.

"Just stepping outside for a sec. I'm feeling better, but I've been cooped up in this room for too long. I need some fresh air. I'll be right back, okay?"

Prompto smiled. "Sure. Don't take too long though, or I'll start to miss you."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know." Katia rolled her eyes, opening the door and stepping out towards the lobby. She felt a lot better getting that off her chest. Not that she expected Prompto to be angry about it, but she could never be too sure. She went outside, feeling a strange chill. It wasn't like this a few days ago, was it?

"There you are. I was wondering when I could have the chance to speak with you."

A sudden voice startled her, causing her to turn to the source. Only to freeze at who stood there. A beautiful woman with black hair was walking towards her, exuding grace with every step. Katia knew this woman. She'd seen her before while on this journey. She was Gentiana, a servant of the Astrals, their messenger. But why was she appearing before her and her alone?

"What do you want?" Katia asked, her voice shaky. Gentiana laughed.

"Do not be afraid, child," she said. "I will not hurt you."

"I didn't think you would. But what do you need from me? I'm nobody special."

Even though her eyes were closed, it felt like Gentiana was looking straight through her. "I need to speak with you," she said. "Tell me, that boy Prompto, do you truly love him?"

Okay, that was a weird question to ask. Why would the Astrals' servant care about her love life? "Of course I do," she stated, no hesitation to speak of. "Prom means everything to me. I don't know what I'd do if I ever lost him. He's like a ray of sunlight shining down on me alone. He brightens up my life and makes me feel happy. What more could I ask for?"

Gentiana smiled. "You must remember that always. Treasure his sunlight and know he is there for you. Believe in him, for it will keep you both strong. Especially in what is to come."

"What's to come? Does this have anything to do with the nights getting longer?" Lunafreya's words came back to her. About how there was a darkness in their star and how they should not despair, but she didn't quite understand it. But the nights had began getting longer since her death, or at least it felt like it.

"The two of you will soon be facing many hardships," Gentiana didn't answer the question, continuing on as if it hadn't been asked. "That which was locked away will be brought out. The truths about yourselves laid bare. And you must look to each other in times of grief, lest you succumb to darkness itself."

"Hold on, you're not making any sense! What's all this mean? Can't you tell me instead of giving me vague riddles?"

Gentiana shook her head slowly. "I am sorry, I cannot divulge that information," she said. "You must discover the answers yourself. And as I have faith in the king, so too do I have faith in you both. It will not be easy, but have faith. He is your beacon, and you are his. You have been brought together for a reason. Do well to keep that in mind."

Now this was just confusing. Was she trying to give relationship advice or something? "Can you at least be less-" Katia tried to ask, but Gentiana was gone. "Okay, that was fucking weird." She figured it was better to shrug it off and head back inside. Whatever she was trying to tell her would have to wait. Making it back inside and heading into the room, she hoped that Noctis would wake up soon. Whatever these hardships were, she wanted to get them over with quickly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter may take a while depending on some things, so don't be surprised if it takes a bit longer.


	17. Chapter 16: Rising Tensions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am sooooo sorry this took so long. I got stuck in an unexpected situation that prevented me from using my computer for three days which caused the huge delay. This won't happen again, and updates will return to normal now.

Neither of them would've thought that things could be more awkward than they were weeks ago, but things don't always turn out as expected.

The five of them were situated in a train, the ultimate goal being to retrieve the crystal in Niflheim, but instead of the camraderie Katia had gotten used to while traveling there was only silence. She couldn't blame them, Altissia had changed their situation greatly. But the silence felt deafening. On top of Ignis' new disability, Noctis was clearly distraught over Lunafreya, and Gladio, well, he just had this permanent scowl on his face that made it hard to even think of approaching him. He was so hard to read at times, and the last thing she wanted was to piss him off by accident.

She looked over at Noctis, who was sitting alone and staring at his hands. She didn't even need to guess what was running through his head, she could already tell. She knew Noctis was close with Lunafreya, he'd always get this sweet smile on his face when Umbra showed up or when he talked about her. He'd also been happy with the idea of getting married to her, so something had to have been there. She had no idea if they were soulmates or not, the thought of asking him just seemed rude in her mind, but she couldn't help but wonder if that had something to do with how broken he looked. She'd heard the stories, of how when your soulmate dies you feel like part of you is gone and how the pain is so severe, but with everything that he'd already lost, this could've been the breaking point for him. She didn't know, and probably never would.

Finally, there was Ignis. She looked at the adviser in the seat across from her, Prompto sitting next to him to make sure he was okay. He was another hard nut to crack. The man kept his emotions locked up. If he was upset, in pain, angry, sad, there was no way of telling. But he had to be suffering inside, loosing his eyesight wasn't the only problem he'd dealt with recently. But he wouldn't talk about it, no way.

Unable to stand the silence, Katia glanced towards Prompto, hoping he would say something. He tried to think, the situation was already tense and he didn't want to make things any worse. "So...we're gonna roll through Tenebrae." he said.

"Not before visiting the royal tomb in Cartanica." Ignis pointed out. Katia had almost forgotten about collecting the Royal Arms. Even though they'd grabbed the ones in Lucis, so much had happened that it managed to slip her mind. They did have a job to do, and that was the next stop. Hopefully nothing else would go wrong while they were there.

A worry crossed her mind. "You sure you're up for that, Iggy?" she asked. The last thing she wanted to do was treat him like an invalid or something like that, but she knew that his condition wasn't going to make things easier for him.

There was a brief silence, as if he was thinking over something. "The wounds have mended. Eyesight's a matter of time." His words were intended to be optimistic, but the tone of his voice betrayed that intent. It was clear that he didn't know if his eyesight would return, but he didn't want to be a burden. She couldn't tell if he was saying that to reassure her or himself.

Gladio got up from his seat behind Ignis and Prompto, walking over to Noctis. "The hell is wrong with you?" he asked, venom dripping from his words. Wherever this was going, it wouldn't end well.

"What?" Noctis asked, slowly raising his head to look at his shield. His own tone wasn't friendly either.

"We're not stopping in Tenebrae. You need to grow up and get over it." Oh no, this definitely wouldn't end well.

"I am over it. I'm here, aren't I?" Noctis stood up from his seat, only to have his shirt collar be grabbed by Gladio.

"Maybe when you're not too busy moping, you can look around and give a shit about someone worse off than you."

Prompto and Katia looked over at each other, both of them in shock and uncertain of what to do. Should they stop it? How could they stop it? "Let go of me." Noctis said, not a demand by any means but it was clear he was not taking this.

"How's that ring fit ya? You'd rather carry it around than wear it?" Gladio asked as Noctis' scowl grew. "She gave her life so you could do your duty, not so you could sit around feeling sorry for yourself."

"You don't think I know that?!" His voice was turning into a yell, prompting Katia to stand up and prepare to step in if needed.

"You don't! Ignis took one for you too, and for what?!" Now they were both yelling. This had to be stopped, before either of them did something they'd regret.

"Enough, Gladio!" Ignis yelled from his seat.

"You think you're a king, but you're a coward."

"Shut up!" Noctis growled.

That seemed to be the breaking point for Prompto, as he stood up and reached for Gladio. "Don't do this-!" he tried to plea, but was pushed away by Gladio.

"Prompto!" Katia shouted, leaning down and helping her boyfriend back up. Now she was starting to get angry. There was no need to take this out on him, especially when he was just trying to help.

"I get it alright? I get it!" Noctis shoved Gladio away.

"Then get a grip! Pull your head outta your ass already!"

"Noctis! Gladiolus! Both of you cut it out!" Katia shouted as she got in between them, sounding like a mother scolding her children. She couldn't take this anymore and she'd be damned if she stood there and let it continue. "Both of you are making asses out of yourselves! You're causing a damn scene and people are starting to stare! I get that this whole thing is getting to us, but could you two calm down for two seconds or something?!"

Noctis said nothing, walking away from the group and heading to the back of the car.

"Noct!" Prompto called out, ready to follow after him.

"Leave him!" Gladio demanded, stopping Prompto in his tracks. Katia on the other hand couldn't give a damn about what he said and began walking in Noctis' direction. She was too angry to care. "I said, leave him!"

She stopped where she was, turning to face Gladio herself. "I'm sorry, but I'm concerned for my best friend here! And last time I checked, you don't tell me what to do anymore." She turned back to where Noctis had gone, but a strong grip took hold of her arm and pulled her back. Gladio held her arm up, keeping her from leaving.

"You're no better than he is," he said, his own anger now taking over. "Do you even know what's at stake here? Or have you and Prompto been too distracted making goo-goo eyes with each other to care?"

Oh, now he pushed it. "I know exactly what's at stake! It's because I do that I'm worried about what's going to happen! Me and Prom coming to terms with our feelings has changed nothing and you know that, you prick!"

Prompto could only stand aside and watch as pain coursed through his arm, knowing that Gladio was holding her too tight. Neither of them were acting rationally anymore. But he couldn't step in and stop it. He'd just get pushed away again. He just wanted everyone to stop fighting with each other.

"How can I be so sure about that?! For all I know, you running into us was no coincidence and you're just here to rat on us just like Eleiza was!"

Katia stopped. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ignis wince in his seat, his composure broken for just a second by the mention of the hunters name. This was too far. "You're a real piece of shit, you know that?" she asked. "You have the gall to not only accuse me of working for that monster, but also bring up Eleiza when you know how Ignis is feeling about her? What a fucking hypocrite, talking about caring for people worse off when you can't even consider how someone else might feel! If we weren't on a train full of civilians right now, I'd be kicking your ass for this!"

Gladio let go of her arm and shoved her aside. Prompto tried to go towards her, but the shield held him back. "Like you could pull that off," he said, looking down at her. "Maybe you should've stayed behind. You never belonged here in the first place."

Katia could feel the fire flowing through her. She turned around and stormed off, heading out of the train car. Gladio made his way to the other end of the car, leaving Ignis and Prompto there by themselves.

"Go to her, Prompto." Ignis said.

"But what about-"

"I'll be fine. I'm not planning on going anywhere. Katia on the other hand needs you more than anything."

Prompto knew he was right. He walked ahead to where Katia had ran off to, hoping that this could be fixed. They weren't supposed to be fighting with each other. Not now.

\----------------------------------------

Katia slammed her fist against the wall, still feeling the anger from what Gladio had said. "Fuck!" she shouted, slumping down to the floor as she felt the train move. She probably shouldn't be sitting there, but she didn't even want to go back in there and there was nowhere else to go. The door opened, but she didn't bother looking up at who it was. It wasn't until she heard them sitting next to her and felt a hand moving across her back that she turned her head, seeing Prompto looking at her with worry. Aranea hadn't been exaggerating when she said he had a sad puppy look.

"You okay?" he asked.

Katia sighed, trying to calm herself down a little before saying anything. "Not really, I'm fucking pissed," she explained, her hands tightening into fists. "Gladio had no right to say those things. Not about you, me, or Eleiza."

"You know he didn't mean any of those things, right? He was just angry," He moved a loose strand of hair, tucking it behind her ear. "You belong with us, because you're our friend. And he knows we're not just staring at each other all the time."

"That doesn't make what he said right. And we both know just how he feels about Eleiza so he meant that. And the fact that he said it in front of Iggy like that..."

Prompto didn't know how to respond to that. He just looked at her arm, staring at the red skin were Gladio'd been holding her. "Is your arm okay?" Maybe changing the subject would help.

She looked at the red marking that'd been left behind. "Yeah, it's fine. A little sore, but it'll pass."

"That's good."

"...Look, I get where Gladio's coming from. Noct does still have a duty to uphold and he's not thinking completely rational right now. But he just lost Lady Lunafreya after trying to find her for so long. It's only natural he'd be upset. You don't just snap out of that so easily."

As Prompto tried to think about how to respond, the door opened again. The pair looked up and saw Noctis standing there. They'd forgotten he was sitting right near the door and probably heard everything that had happened before Katia ran in here. He didn't say anything, just looking down at the two of them. "Just making sure Kat's gonna be alright," Prompto explained. "Think she just needs a moment to relax." Noctis nodded his head before making his way back.

The two of them stayed silent for a while, Prompto rubbing circles into her palm. She leaned her head against him, hoping to find some peace. She began to wonder what Prompto was thinking. Even though she'd calmed down significantly, he still looked worried. Her question was answered before she could ask it as he finally spoke.

"The tomb is just a station away. You think we'll be okay--all of us?"

She didn't know how to answer that. Who knew how long Gladio and Noctis would stay mad at each other? The words that Gentiana had told her back in Altissia still had her concerned as well. "I hope so." she said.

"Something on your mind?"

"...Back in Altissia, Gentiana approached me. She was asking weird things and being all cryptic about it, but she said that you and me would go through some kind of hardships. She didn't say what, but it has me worried."

Prompto left a chaste kiss on her cheek, making an attempt to smile. "As long as we're not breaking up, I think we can handle it," he joked, making Katia laugh a little. "We've been through a lot already, what else could possibly happen?"

"But she said we needed to stick with each other, that we're each others beacon and we were brought together for a reason. I don't understand what she means by all that. It sounds like whatever's gonna happen to us is gonna suck big time."

"We'll get through it. We just gotta deal with this mess first."

"I guess so."

Prompto stood up, holding out his hand for her. "Let's head back to our seats. Ignis is probaly getting lonely. Whatever these hardships are, we'll figure it out when we get there."

Katia took his hand, allowing herself to be pulled up. She was tired of sitting on the ground like that. "I guess you're right. I'm just gonna avoid Gladio for now, I don't feel like fighting with him again." The two walked back to their seats, still troubled and worried. They might be okay, but everyone else was a different story.

\------------------------------------

The journey through the mines was tense, an air of hostility still surrounding Noctis and Gladio. Even though they didn't talk a lot, it was obvious they were still angry. Prompto and Katia had no idea what to do. In any normal situation they'd try to lighten things up with a joke, but no one was in a laughing mood. So they just stayed close to Ignis, helping him if he stumbled.

Not even setting up camp for the night was enough to ease things. Gladio didn't even sit by the fire. It all felt wrong. And the worst part is there was nothing they could do to fix things. Both Noctis and Gladio were stubborn, they weren't about to let this go. All they could do was wait.

"Hey Iggy, why don't you let me do the cooking tonight?" Katia asked.

His head turned up, trying his best to look in her direction. "I appreciate the sentiment, but you don't need to trouble yourself. I believe I can handle making cup noodles."

"Seriously Ignis, I want to help. Sitting here doing nothing is putting me on edge. Besides, you can always give me instructions. I'm nowhere near as good as you, but I think with you as my teacher I can handle things."

Ignis smiled. "You're a very caring individual. We still barely know each other and yet here you are, jumping up to help."

"I mean, I still consider us friends even if we aren't that close. And I don't like seeing any of my friends upset if I can help it."

"Is that what motivated you to fight Gladio?"

Katia winced. The last thing she wanted to think about was the things said back on the train. "About that, I'm sorry about what happened. I shouldn't have tried to egg him on like that."

"You need not apologize to me. There is nothing to apologize for."

"But what he said about-"

"I know very well how Gladio feels about that situation. It isn't new to me. What happened has happened, I simply need to move on from it."

"Trust me, you can't move on from something like that. I'm sure she had her reasons for doing what she did, and someday she'll tell them to you. Just hang in there, things'll get better. I just know it."

Ignis didn't respond, leaving Katia to worry about if she said something she shouldn't have. He stood up from his chair and took hold of his cane. "Don't worry about Noct and Gladio," he finally spoke. "They've always had trouble getting along with each other. If need be, I'll end this quarrel myself." He began to slowly walk away.

"Wait, Iggy! Let me help with the cooking!" Katia insisted. Ignis turned back to face her.

"I appreciate your concern, but I need to learn how to overcome this new setback of mine. I'd rather not hold anyone back. Now if you'll excuse me." And with that he walked away.

Katia sighed. Ignis was right, they couldn't be mad forever. But just how long would it last? Even with his words, she still wished she could do something. Anything would be better than what she was dealing with now. She looked over at Prompto, sadly looking through the pictures he'd taken today, feeling slightly happy that she had him here. At least she had someone she could talk to. Thinking over everything that had happened, she was lucky to have him. She didn't even want to think about what could've been. If anything were to happen to him, she wouldn't know what she'd do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Get ready for the pain train, because it's coming.


	18. Chapter 17: Train Attack

"Hey Katia, mind if I say something?"

Katia looked up from her seat at Gladio, surprised to see the King's Shield. While things had finally calmed down after their journey in the mines, she hadn't known how to approach him. She certainly didn't expect him to be coming up to her. "Uh, sure. Go ahead."

Gladio sat down in the seat across from her, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. He must've been trying to figure out what to say, so Katia stayed quiet so he could speak. "About what happened earlier, I said some things and... I shouldn't have done it. I was angry at Noct, not you, and-"

"Stop right there," Katia held her hand up, silencing the large man. "I know you didn't mean any of those things. Not the stuff about me anyway. I don't hold it against you or anything. We all say stupid shit when we're angry. I was just worried about Noct and we both got carried away in the process. just forget about it, okay?"

Gladio sighed. "I still shouldn't have said those things about you. You didn't have your head up your ass like Noct did."

"Look, people handle grief differently. Like Iggy said, Noct will take his place when he's ready, you can't rush that sort of thing. And I know you just wanted to help him, but not everything can be done by yelling at him. As long as we're moving forward, we'll be fine."

"When did you get all sappy?" Gladio raised an eyebrow, a smirk on his face.

"Hey, you know me more for my fighting over everything. You haven't seen the real me!"

"Uh-huh. sure."

"Anyway, let's just put it behind us. No point lingering on the past. I forgive you and all that jazz so we're good," She stood up from her seat. "Anyway, where's Noct? I wanna talk to him."

"He's over in the dining car," Gladio pointed ahead of them. "He's stopped sulking, so that's a bonus."

"Awesome! Talk to ya later!" And with that, she headed into the dining car. It didn't take long for her to find Noctis, he was sitting on his own and stuck out like a sore thumb. She sat down across from him, gaining his attention. "Hey Noct, how're ya doing?"

"Better, I guess." Noctis said, seeming unsure of himself.

"It's okay if you're not, you know. We can talk about it if you want."

"Thanks, but I think I'll be fine."

"...So we're stopping in Tenebrae then. Think you'll be okay while we're there?"

"Yeah, I'll be okay."

Sometimes it felt like she was talking to a brick wall. "Noct, I get what you're going through. Well, not entirely, but I still understand. You've lost a lot lately, and it's hard," She placed her hand on top of his. "But you don't have to go through it alone. Don't bottle it up, okay? We're your friends, we're here for you. If nothing else, I'm always here to listen. I don't wanna watch my best friend suffer. So just know you can come to me when you need to."

Noctis smiled, a sight Katia had longed to see. "Yeah, thanks Kat. But I think I'm fine for now. I'll take you on that offer though the next time I need it."

"Jeez, you're so stubborn, you know that?"

The two laughed a bit. This is what Katia had wanted. Things were back to normal, at least as much as things could be. All they had to do now was go to Tenebrae, then head for Gralea and get the crystal back. Then maybe she could figure out where to go from there.

The sound of running echoed through the car as Prompto suddenly slid by, nearly running past the table. "Woah! There you are, buddy!" He took a glance at Katia's hand, still sitting on top of Noctis', and made an exaggerated frown. "Heeeeey, you're not trying to steal my girlfriend, are you?"

"Who me? Never," Noctis replied. "Kat's not my type."

"So you're saying you'd try if I was your type?" Katia asked.

"Nah, if you were Noct's type, you wouldn't be mine so he wouldn't have to try. And trust me, his type is very specific if you catch my drift." Noctis lightly punched Prompto in the arm, telling him to shut up. Katia couldn't help but laugh. It felt like high school all over again. Just the three of them messing around with each other and having fun. The only difference was now her and Prompto had realized they were soulmates and were officially dating.

She got up from her seat. "Well, I'll let you two chit-chat. Don't wanna intrude on anything private. Just remember what I told you, Noct," The prince nodded his head. She turned to face Prompto. "And as for you," She left him a kiss on the cheek, leaving him a red, stammering mess. "I'll see you later, Sunshine."

"Y-Yeah, see ya..."

As she walked back the way she came, Noctis and Prompto's conversation slipping into her ears, she began to think of what to do to pass the time. She had no way of knowing when they'd get to Tenebrae, and with the tension gone she wanted to do something relaxing. It'd been a while since she'd last had the chance to draw, maybe she could pull out her sketchbook and see what ideas popped into her head. She could also try exploring the train a bit more. There probably wasn't much to see, but it was better than sitting around doing nothing.

Before she could decide though, she felt another headache come out of nowhere. But this was different from most of them, this one seemed to hurt more than any previous one. She fell to her knees, clutching her head to try and make the throbbing pain stop. Why now? What was going on with these headaches? This wasn't natural, there was no way it could be.

She collapsed onto the floor, still clutching her head as she felt herself slipping from consciousness. Her vision went blurry and all noise sounded muffled. Before she blacked out, she thought she saw something move in front of her. Someone running, but stopping for a second to look at her. She thought they said something, but couldn't understand them. Just as the person started running again, she blacked out.

\-----------------------------

"Kat? Kat, are you alright?"

A voice awoke Katia from her slumber. The pain in her head was gone, but she still felt confused. What just happened to her? She opened her eyes, finding Noctis and Prompto standing above her. She sat up slowly, just in case the pain were to come back. "Noct? Prom? What's going on?"

"Ardyn's here," Noctis said, anger in the back of his voice. "The train's been stopped."

Katia's eyes went wide. No, not him. Not now. Why was he here? "Why're we stopped?"

"That's what we're going to find out," Prompto said. "We're on our way to the rear end of the train, Gladio and Ignis have already made their way to the engine. You should come with us, Kat. It's too dangerous to be here by yourself, especially with Ardyn running around."

Something felt off, Prompto's voice sounded...different somehow. She couldn't place what it was though, probably because she was still recovering from that strange headache. "Y-Yeah, right." Noctis reached his hand out towards her to help her up, and she took it. She wobbled a little as she stood up, but was otherwise fine.

"Think you can handle things?" Noctis asked.

Katia nodded her head. "Yeah, I can fight. I just need a moment." She didn't want to mention the headache. Prompto probably already knew about it, but he wouldn't say anything.

"Alright, let's move." Prompto said. The three of them began to make their way towards the back. As they reached the next car, the windows shattered and the ground shook beneath them.

"Did they bomb us?!" Katia asked.

"Noct, Kat, we have to protect the people!" Prompto shouted.

Of course this would happen now. Just when things had finally improved for them, the Empire had to show up and attack the train. Couldn't they ever get a break, just once? Windows continued to shatter as they made their way through, culminating in an explosion in the side of the car. There they were, MTs, standing outside the train and attacking it.

"Crap, the MTs can self-destruct!"

"We can't let them inside."

"Well then, we take the fight to them!"

The three of them jumped out of the train, weapons in hand and facing an army. They had to protect the train at all costs. Katia tried to keep herself focused on the battle, but found her thoughts going back to Prompto. Not only was his voice different, but the way he spoke and behaved was off too. He'd never been this excited to be fighting before. And it almost seemed like he wasn't sure how to use his gun. Sure, he was still hitting the MTs and taking them out, but she swore she saw him look unsure about how it worked. Or maybe it was just her imagination and her head was still foggy from earlier. It was hard to tell.

It came as a relief when he said Ignis had called and said they were almost good to go. She had to ask Prompto if he was feeling okay. Did their bond make his head fuzzy from the headache too? It was the only logical explanation she could come up with. But it had to wait until they weren't under attack.

Katia and Prompto jumped back on the train, Noctis warping over to them as the train began to move again. Just when they thought they were out of the fire, more MTs appeared on the train and Magitek aircraft began to follow from above. "Kat and I will handle things down here, you go take down our flying friends," Prompto said, Noctis nodding his head as he warped away. Before she could ask anything, Prompto grabbed Katia's hand. "We have to get moving, who knows how many are still on board and we still have Ardyn to deal with." He ran into the train with her in tow.

That's when Katia realized that something was definitely wrong. Whenever Prompto grabbed hold of her left hand with his right, that's when she'd feel the warmth from their bond. Every time, without fail, she'd feel that warmth spreading through their hands. But now, as they were wandering through the train, she felt nothing. There was no warmth whatsoever.

\---------------------------------

Everything had happened so fast.

They'd found Ardyn on top of the train. He looked confused when he saw them there. "Kat? What're you doing with him?" he asked. Why was he calling her that? Nothing was making sense anymore.

"What're you talking about? Why wouldn't I be with him?" Katia asked.

Ardyn looked like his heart was breaking, as if he genuinely didn't understand what was going on. "Kat, he's dangerous! You need to get away from him!" His voice sounded off too, he was pleading for her to step away. This wasn't like the cold and calculating chancellor she was familiar with.

"I think the lady can decide that for herself." Prompto said, a devilish smirk on his face.

The comment only seemed to agitate Ardyn, as he pulled out a gun and pointed it at Prompto. "What did you do?! This has to be your fault somehow, I know it is!" he shouted.

Katia felt frozen where she stood. She had to do something, but she couldn't will her legs to move forward. She was so confused and had no idea what was going on, but she felt like she needed to do something. "Stop! Don't shoot him!" was the only thing she could manage.

Ardyn turned to face her, still looking hurt. "Kat, why are you defending him? He's totally up to something! Can't you trust me?" He turned back to face Prompto, venom in his eyes. "I'm going to end this before he does anything to hurt you!"

"Prompto!" Noctis' scream echoed through the air as he slashed his sword, causing Ardyn to drop the gun. He took another swipe, knocking him down and causing him to stumble off the train. Katia was about to congratulate him when the image suddenly changed before their eyes.

As Ardyn fell off the train, he changed into Prompto.

Which meant that the Prompto Noctis had just saved was...

How could she not have noticed it? The strange behavior, the lack of warmth, the way "Ardyn" had looked at her, she should have realized that it wasn't Prompto. She was supposed to know him better than anyone else. She should've realized it wasn't him from the beginning! But she was an idiot. A stupid fucking idiot who couldn't even realize that Ardyn had somehow switched places with her soulmate.

"What's the matter, my dear? You look like you've seen a ghost," Ardyn said, as he sauntered over to her. "Or perhaps it's the fact that you just let your lover be pushed off the train by his best friend."

At that point, Katia began running on autopilot. She needed to go save Prompto. She had to bring him back. She couldn't leave him behind. She couldn't lose him. Without thinking, she began to run to the edge of the train car.

"KAT, STOP!" Noctis called out to her, but his words didn't reach her.

Driven only by the thought of saving Prompto, Katia jumped off the train onto the hard ground below. She didn't land gracefully, scraping her knee and feeling a sharp pain in her foot. All she could do was lie there, listening to the train move into the distance.

Once she couldn't hear it any longer, she tried standing up, the weight of what she did hitting her. She just jumped off a moving train, in a place she didn't know, with no idea where Prompto or the train had gone. And she was injured. "Six, tell me this isn't happening." she muttered to herself.

Well, she couldn't stand here forever. She had to find a way out of this. She looked down at the train tracks, her only guide point. If she kept following them, then she'd have to run into Prompto or the train station eventually. Maybe she'd find Prompto and they could make their way to Tenebrae together.

"Don't worry Prom, I'm coming to find you. ...I hope." She summoned her lance, just in case she needed a way to steady herself while walking, and began moving along the train tracks. It was gonna be a long walk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Get ready for the suffering because next chapter's gonna be big. I'm gonna get to reveal the huge thing about Katia that I've been wanting to since March.


	19. Chapter 18: Surviving

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I gotta make this clear now. THE REVEAL THERE AT THE END WILL BE EXPLAINED NEXT CHAPTER, I PROMISE THERE'S A GOOD EXPLANATION! I WAITED UNTIL AFTER EPISODE PROMPTO CAME OUT FOR A REASON. Also The last line is important in all this so take that into account!

Noctis groaned as consciousness finally returned to him. The events that had transpired before being knocked out played back in his head. He'd pushed Prompto off the train thinking he was Ardyn, Katia had jumped off after him. His two best friends were gone and it was all his fault. "Dammit." he muttered. He began to push himself back up, noticing the scenery had changed drastically. He had no idea how long he'd been out for, but there was no doubt that the train was far from where his friends were. With no clue what to do, he pulled out his phone and called Ignis.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Ignis, you've gotta stop this thing!" Noctis pleaded, the urge to cry in the back of his throat. "Prompto fell off the train. I pushed him-I mean, Ardyn made me. And then Katia she just, jumped off. I tried to stop her but I couldn't do it! I don't know where they are, but we can't leave them!"

"Stay calm, Noct," Ignis instructed. "I'm as concerned for Prompto and Katia as you are, but stopping the train would endanger everyone on board. We'd be sitting ducks for the daemons." Noctis knew he was right, but his panic was getting the best of him.

"What do we do?!"

"First we drop the passengers off at Tenebrae. We'll be arriving shortly."

"What about Prompto and Katia?!"

"Given the chancellor's involvement, it's probable they're no longer where we left them. In any case they may try to contact us. Let us wait and hope for now. Can you make your way here? Gladio is with me."

"Are the two of you okay at least?" He didn't want anything else to happen, not to them.

"Yes."

"Okay, I'm on my way," He looked up and saw daemons on top of the train. "I'll be there as soon as I take care of these stowaways!" As he fought, his mind kept wandering back to Prompto and Katia. He just hoped that Ignis was right and they were still alright.

\----------------------------------

Katia had no idea where she was going anymore. She was stuck in the middle of nowhere, was still injured, and it was getting colder and darker by the second. Even though her phone had survived the fall, she wasn't getting a signal. Which left her stuck out here with no way of letting Noctis know she was alright. And worst of all, there was still no sign of Prompto. No matter how she looked at things, the situation seemed hopeless.

Tears pricked the edges of her eyes. Why had she just jumped off the train like that? Ignis would've had a plan, they'd have made finding Prompto a priority for sure even if it wasn't an immediate one. But as usual, she did something without thinking it through. And now she had no idea if she'd ever make it out of this. Especially with night falling soon. She was in no condition to fight, she'd be easy prey for the daemons like this. She was going to die out here and no one would ever find her, all because of a rash mistake.

A soft blue glow on the edge of her vision suddenly gave her hope. She turned her head to face it and surely enough, there was a Haven a small ways away from the tracks. A small smile crossed her face, she wasn't dead after all. Thank the Astrals, she had a place to sleep that night. She rushed over there as fast as she could, the pain in her foot keeping her from running at top speed, and relaxed upon reaching the Haven.

"Okay, I have a place to rest tonight without being daemon food," she said, voicing her thoughts out loud. "Unfortunately, all my stuff is still on the train. So I need to figure out what I'm doing before it gets too dark."

She sat down, slowly dumping the contents of her pockets to see what she had on her. Aside from her phone, there was some gil from her solo time as a hunter, a pair of headphones, two potions, chips and candy she'd bought at the last train station, a vial of fire magic, and a small bottle of water. "Okay, at least I don't have to find food around here, wherever 'here' is. And I have a way to stay hydrated. Gotta make this last though until I reach some sign of civilization," She picked up the potion, held it over her knee and shattered it. The scrapes vanished, leaving only small amounts of blood that could be easily cleaned. "And now I'm in a better condition to fight, should I need to. I should save the last one for an emergency though." She stuffed everything back into her pockets, figuring she could save the food for when she needed it.

Remembering what Gladio told her about camping, she got the fire started and sat as close as she could to it. It was her only source of warmth, and she hoped it would last her the night. As she ate the chips, she looked back at her wrist, removing the wristband and looking at the feather mark. Her mind wandered to Prompto, what he must be doing right now and if he was okay. She knew he was still alive, she could feel it. She could feel his confusion and sadness more than anything. He still had no idea why Noctis pushed him off the train, or why she wouldn't come to him. She made a mental note to explain everything to him as soon as she found him.

She suddenly remembered something, something she hadn't done since she was a child. When she'd felt lonely, she'd started talking to the marking, thinking that maybe her soulmate would get some kind of reaction. And when she did do it, she'd start to feel the warmth, figuring that they'd tried to respond to her. It was a long shot, but maybe...

She touched her finger to the feather. "Prom? Can you feel this?" she said. "It's me. I don't know where you are or where I am, but I promise I'm going to find you. And then we'll find the guys again. So just hang in there, okay? I love you." She waited, figuring that it could take a moment for him to feel the warmth and realize what it meant. Just when she was about to give up, she felt the warmth for a moment and smiled. He got the message. He was okay.

She put her wristband back on and curled up to the fire. She shut her eyes, hoping that she'd be able to get some kind of sleep tonight.

\-------------------------------

_"You know, you're really good at drawing."_

_Katia looked up from her drawings to look at the boy sitting next to her on the bench. The chubby young boy wasn't looking at her, preferring to look through his camera once again. She knew he'd been looking at her drawing, but was too shy to admit it. She blushed, not used to the compliment. "You really think so?" she asked._

_"Mmhm. They're the best drawings I've ever seen," The boy responded, looking away from his camera and giving her a small smile. "In fact, I think they're better than my pictures."_

_Katia shook her head. "Nuh-uh! No way! They're not better than that! My drawings aren't that good..." She looked down at the one she'd been working on, a simple drawing of both of them holding hands and smiling. "Plus the teachers would say differently. They think I'm wasting my time."_

_"Well the teachers are wrong. You should keep drawing, it makes you happy. And I like seeing you happy. And if you keep drawing, you'll just get better at it." The boy snapped a picture with his camera. Probably a small animal that was in the park. He looked down at the camera in disappointment, whatever it was he'd tried to photograph had moved too fast._

_Katia looked at the picture, then turned to look at his sad face. "Don't cry, you'll get it next time."_

_"I-I wasn't gonna cry! Honest!"_

_"You should keep taking pictures. I'll bet you'll be the best picture-taker in all of Insomnia if you do! We can both try our hardest to be the best there ever was!"_

_"You really think so?"_

_"We can try anyway."_

_"I-In that case, would you be a model for me? Someone I can take pictures of?"_

_Katia grinned, showing off her recently lost baby tooth. "Of course! You can take as many pictures of me as you want, because we're best friends! In fact, take a picture of me right now! I won't even move!"_

_"O-Okay..." The boy pointed the camera at Katia. She smiled, making a peace sign with her left hand. "Say cheese," The camera made a click, and he took the camera away to look at it. He smiled softly. "It looks great. Thanks Katia."_

_"Anything for my best friend!"_

_"I'm your only friend though..."_

_"So? I like being friends with you. You're not mean like everyone else is. You're nice to me and that's all that matters. As far as I care, you're the only friend I need, Prompto."_

_Prompto looked away, trying to hide the blush on his face. He muttered something, but Katia couldn't hear it. "I like being your friend too." he finally said._

_The sound of bells echoed in the distance, and Katia already knew what it meant. "I gotta go home now. Dad's gonna be worried about me if I don't come home," She put her things away in her backpack and jumped off the bench. "You sure you don't wanna come over for dinner? Dad really wants to meet you, and I'm sure he'll make something you like."_

_Prompto shook his head. "No thanks. I live in the opposite direction anyway. I don't wanna go home when it gets dark."_

_"You could always stay over at my place. We can have a sleepover! It'd be fun!"_

_Prompto got off the bench. "It's a school night. We shouldn't be having a sleepover today."_

_Katia's face turned into a pout. "Awwwww, you always make up an excuse!"_

_"I'm sorry Katia, I'll come over some other time. I promise."_

_"I'm holding you to that promise! One day I'll get you to come over to my house!"_

_"Okay. See you at school tomorrow?"_

_"Of course! See you then, best friend!" She began to run out of the park, waving back to Prompto as she ran._

...

Katia woke up, the light of dawn shining in her eyes. The fire had gone out. She stood up, stretching her arms. She was surprised she slept so well for lying on the hard ground all night long; she was even more surprised by the nice dream she'd had. Or rather, the memory. She hadn't thought about that moment for so long, was it a sign that Prompto was still okay? She never really understood her dreams. With the sun's light shining through, she left the haven and went back to walking, her heart feeling lighter at the thought of the past.

\---------------------------------

Fog. Of course she had to run into fucking fog. What were the odds that things could go smoothly for once?

Katia'd been walking for what felt like a few hours now, she honestly couldn't tell and didn't want to risk using up her phone battery. Getting that sleep did her some good, but she was still in some pain and was worried about what might happen if she ran into something. Surely the station in Tenebrae couldn't be too far, she just had to keep going.

Suddenly, she saw a figure in the distance. The fog obstructed them from view, but Katia didn't care in that moment. In her mind, there was only one person it could be. Her heart racing, she ran towards them, eager to wrap her arms around them. The figure noticed her and began slowly walking forward. Katia stopped. She recognized that stride anywhere. That was not Prompto.

The figure came into view, his signature smirk plastered on his face. "There you are, my dear. I was starting to worry that the daemons had found you." Ardyn sneered.

Katia summoned her lance, holding it out in front of her to keep him at bay. "What the hell do you want?!" she shouted.

Ardyn chuckled. "So violent. Come now, put that thing away. You're in no condition to take me on. Besides, I'm merely here to pick you up."

Katia rose her eyebrow, her stance melting away. "Pick me up? The fuck's that supposed to mean?"

"It means I'm here to take you home."

Katia gritted her teeth, pointing the lance back at him. "My home is gone! Insomnia has fallen because of you!" Ardyn grabbed her left arm, causing her to drop the lance as it dissipated. How'd he move so fast?

"Oh Katia, you're so naive. Or perhaps I should be calling you 'Kat' now?"

"You have no right to call me that! What'd you do to Prom?!"

"You'll find out soon enough. Frankly, he doesn't matter right now," He looked at the wristband with a smirk. "You know, I was surprised to see you that day in Lestallum. I had assumed you'd perished in Insomnia. Yet there you were, alive and well, travelling with the prince and his entourage."

"What're you going on about?" Her eyes widened as she saw him remove the wristband from her arm. "WAIT, STOP, DON'T TOUCH THAT!"

"That name of yours, 'Katia Ferrum', did you come up with that name yourself or was it given to you?" He looked over the chocobo feather marking, as if he was studying it intensely. "No matter, it doesn't matter all that much I suppose. I'll have plenty of time to get what I want out of you anyway. I meant what I said though about your name being lovely. 'Katia' is a fitting name for you, but 'Ferrum' not so much."

He turned her wrist around, looking smugly at the sight of the barcode that spread across it. "Nonetheless, I do believe it's time we return to Niflheim, Ms. Aldercapt. Your true home is waiting for you."


	20. Chapter 19: There's A Fault In My Code

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a quick warning, this chapter has implied abuse and attempted self-harm. Also sorry this is so long, I had to infodump.

Katia awakened to the cold, and a slight pain in the back of her head. She struggled as she tried to remember what had happened. She was trying to get to Tenebrae or find Prompto after jumping off the train. She found someone in the morning fog, but it wasn't who she was looking for, it was someone else. She struggled, trying to remember who it was.

She opened her eyes, confused by the dark, gritty surroundings. She tried to sit up, hoping she'd do better after getting off the cold ground. As her eyes settled to the darkness, she suddenly realized where she was, at least to a small degree. She was in some kind of prison cell. But why? How'd she get here? "Oh well, I can probably break this open in no time." she told herself. She held out her hand, waiting for her lance to appear. But it didn't come. There was no sign of it. The hell was going on? Why couldn't she summon her weapon?

She quickly forgot it once she took a look at her left wrist, uncovered and baring the barcode she'd tried so desperately to hide for all her life. She felt her chest tighten and her breathing grow heavy. This couldn't be happening. It just couldn't!

"Ah, you've finally awakened. I was starting to worry about you, my dear." A voice echoed through the room, and Katia remembered everything that happened. This was all his fault. She glared at Ardyn as he stood on the other side of the cell, trying to regain her composure.

"You!" she growled. "Where the hell are we?! Where's my wristband?! Why can't I summon my weapon?!"

"Now, now, you don't have to shout," Ardyn cooed. "I'm certain you have many questions, so I'll just start at the beginning. You are in Zegnautus Keep in Gralea, the capital of Niflheim. I was serious when I said I'd be bringing you home. The power of the crystal has been sealed here, so You won't be bringing out your little toy here. As for that wristband, well, you won't be needing it anymore. So I disposed of it for you."

Katia's eyes widened. "No! Why'd you do that?! I need that thing!"

Ardyn chuckled. "Not anymore. You have no reason to hide what you truly are, my dear," He gestured to the barcode, prompting her to cover it up with her hand. "After all, keeping secrets like that just isn't right."

"What are you talking about?" Katia's voice began to shake as she slowly backed away. "The only thing I've hidden is this...thing! I don't know what it is or what you mean by 'what I truly am'!"

"So you truly have forgotten," Ardyn sighed. "What a pity. Lucky for you, I have all the time in the world, so I'll do you a favor and boost your memory. Tell me my dear, how much do you know about the magitek army?"

"I know that they're kids the empire's turned into daemons and stuffed in those mechanical bodies," Aranea's words came back to her. Even though she'd been depressed at the time, she'd still listened. And she was still disgusted by it. "Why?"

"You see, a normal MT soldier is powered through the many clones developed by our head researcher. Human beings created with the sole purpose of becoming Niflheims army. And at 'birth', each one is marked by the barcode you're trying so desperately to hide."

Katia stood there in shock. No, there was no way what he was saying was true. That would mean... "So...me and Prom...we're just-"

"Ah, so you know about his barcode! Does he know about yours?" She refused to answer him. "No matter. But yes, both of you were born in the labs of Niflheim."

"So then, we're clones?" Her composure was starting to break again.

"He is. But you, my dear? You're special. Would you like to hear the story?" He didn't give her time to answer, and began explaining anyway.

"Long ago, Emperor Aldercapt came to the head scientist with a proposition. He desired his own special force of magitek soldiers, ones that would be loyal to him and him alone, ones that were more powerful than your average foot soldier. And he provided the necessary materials to create those children. Not wanting to displease His Radiance, the project was accepted, and ten children were artificially born in synthetic wombs. Nine months passed and the children were all born. But there was one of them that was different from all the others, in a manner none of the scientists could possibly explain.

"One of the children, a girl to be precise, had a marking on her left wrist. Not just any marking, but a feather-shaped marking. The marking indicating the bond of soulmates blessed by the Astrals."

Katia said nothing, only removing her hand to look at the chocobo feather on her wrist. What he was saying couldn't be real. There's no possible way. But before she could object, Ardyn continued his "story".

"While the researchers tried to figure out the reason for this strange phenomenon, a tragedy struck. Nine of the children bred to be the emperor's special soldiers mysteriously died. Only the girl with the feather survived. Just when the project was to be considered a failure, one of the clones also had a peculiar mark on his right wrist. Another feather, matching that of the sole surviving child from Aldercapt's blood. It was outright abnormal. The researchers wished to discover the means of both children having the same soulmate marking when they were supposed to be nothing more than the empire's soldiers, but than a Lucian came and stole the boy away, leaving the girl behind. Do you need a moment to take all that in, my dear? I'll pause my story while you do so."

Katia didn't answer, but the look on her face was all he needed. She didn't want to believe this. There was no way her and Prompto had been born just for that. He must be lying. She sunk to her knees, trying to muster up the energy to speak. "You...You're lying!"

"I'm afraid not, I speak only the truth to you. What reason would I have to lie?"

"...You called me 'Ms. Aldercapt' before. Is that because..." She couldn't finish her sentence.

"While you were artificially born, you are most certainly by all technicalities the daughter of Emperor Iedolas Aldercapt. Not that he knows you even exist, the project was reported as being a failure to him. Even if he did know that you were alive, it's not as if he'd recognize you as his daughter. He gave you up to be experimented on before you were even born."

"Say I take everything you've said so far as the truth, than why is it you didn't just turn me into one of those soulless machines?"

"I'm glad you asked, for now I can continue my story. Once the boy was whisked away to Insomnia, that left the young girl. The prospect of the feather marking and her miraculous survival interested the lead researcher, he believed it meant she was meant for something more. So the question was, what could be done with her. And then I stepped in, with a brilliant plan for how she could be useful. Instead of being turned into a soldier, she would be turned into a spy. Taught the ways of how to fight, along with basic skills such as reading comprehension, she could be placed into Insomnia and relay information about the kingdom to us. That would also give us the chance to discover why she had the soulmate marking.

"Unfortunately, that was a harder task than we believed. Despite being created to be the perfect soldier, the girl had, let's call them 'defects'. These defects made it harder to train her and make her into what she needed to be. These defects couldn't just be fixed either, it's rather hard to modify the mind after all. One wrong move, and you can cause more permanent damage. Six years had passed, and we were ready to give up. But one last chance was given to the child.

"Throughout her testing, a chip had been implanted in her mind. When activated, this chip would overwrite her current state of mind, causing her to report anything she'd learned. But before this chip could be tested, the girl escaped. She smuggled away on a train and made her way to Altissia. It made no difference though, surely the chip would still work. But sadly, the child continued to prove herself to be no more than a failure. The only thing the chip did, was this:"

Before she could ask any questions, Katia felt the all-too familiar headache pounding in her skull. Just as soon as it had started though, it stopped. She looked back up at Ardyn, a smirk on his face and some kind of small device in his hand. She didn't want to believe him, she was certain he was trying to break her. But the evidence was too convincing. But she wouldn't admit it. "You're lying!" she shouted.

Ardyn simply chuckled, shaking his head. "Honestly, my dear, are you truly so stubborn? I've given you all the facts and yet you still don't believe me? Let me ask you, if you're so certain that what I'm saying is a lie, than why is it you're so skilled at using a lance? It's no easy weapon to master, yet you pick it up almost like a natural. Why do you think that is?"

Katia was ready to retaliate, but stopped upon realizing that he was right. She'd taken to it so quickly during her Crownsguard training but thought nothing of it. But she shouldn't have been so skilled with it already, so then why...

Something suddenly flashed through her mind. The sound of metal clanging against the ground, a lance lying in front of her, the sound of footsteps as an old man came forward, the feeling of pain as she was slapped on the cheek, the old man's voice demanding her to get back up and keep going, and the urge to cry as she slowly picked the weapon back up.

As if that were the key to unlocking some kind of door, other memories flooded her mind. The needles she'd been pricked with, the training she had to endure, the horrible tests she had to go through, the cold cell she had for a home, the fear and panic as she ran through the halls trying to escape, the train and boat she'd stowed away on, and a woman with a familiar face telling her she wouldn't have to remember any of those things.

Katia clutched her head and screamed. This isn't what she wanted, she never wanted to remember those terrible things! She was supposed to be a Lucian from Insomnia, the daughter of Stabilis Ferrum, the best friend of Prompto Argentum and Noctis Lucis Caelum. But it was all a lie. She was Niflheim's property, a test tube baby intended to betray the people she loved. The barcode branded her for life, if the others found out she'd be cast away. And if Prompto knew just what she was meant to be... "NO! NO! NO!" She pounded her fist against the floor as she shouted the word over and over again. She didn't want any of this to be real.

"Oh my, have you finally remembered?" Ardyn's voice slipped her back into reality. "Perhaps now you can see that I've been telling you the truth."

No, she still wasn't going to give in. She wasn't about to give him what he wanted. "So? I escaped once, I can do it again!" She put on a facade of bravery, she could cry when she was alone.

Once again, Ardyn just chuckled. "Oh Katia, you don't understand. How do you think you were able to escape in the first place? Surely you remember how that happened, right?"

As much as she didn't want to, she thought back to when she broke free from Niflheim's grasp. "There was a keycard on the ground. I picked it up and used it to get out."

"And how do you think that keycard ended up where it was?" She didn't even have to think long to make the connection he was implying.

"You mean, the only reason I escaped is because you let me out?"

"Correct! I knew you were smart enough to figure it out. If I hadn't let you escape, they would've terminated you upon realizing what a failure you were. You should be thanking me for saving your life."

Katia backed up to the edge of the wall. "Why are you telling me all this?!"

"Because you deserve to know your heritage after all. Yours and Prompto's. And I have much more to discuss with you while we wait for your 'friends' to arrive."

The mention of his name sent a fire through her. "Where is he?! What're you doing to him?!"

"Oh I can assure you, he's off learning the same information you are. And very soon he'll be joining you here."

"What're you gonna do to us?"

"The True King must be brought here. And what better bait to use than his two closest friends?" Ardyn opened the door to the cell, clutching Katia's face and studying it. "You really do have a lovely face. I wonder what would happen if I roughed it up a little?"

Katia struggled to get out of his grasp. "Let go of me, you monster!"

"Yes, I suppose that's an apt name to call me," All of a sudden, his eyes turned pitch black. "After all, I don't think I'm very human anymore."

"If you think you can break me, than you got another thing coming! I'm not afraid of you!"

"The thing about willpower is that it doesn't matter how strong it is. Every person has a breaking point. And rest assured, I'll find a way to break yours," He let go of her face, but before she could do anything her arms were pinned up against the wall, Ardyn brandishing a dagger in his free hand. "Now then, I do believe it's time I had my fun." He slowly brought the dagger to her face, the tip of it poking her flesh. With a quick motion, he swiped the blade, small droplets of blood spilling as Katia screamed.

\--------------------------------------

"Almost as good as what Iggy used to make," Prompto said shakily, placing the canned food down. He stared at the fire in front of him. "Well, at least it's quiet for a change." He hoped that he could distract himself from the truth, but it was hard.

He wished this was a nightmare he could wake up from. But as much as he wished it, Prompto's reality was cruel. He now knew the truth about the barcode, about where he came from, about everything. He looked at the chocobo feather marking, finding it to be his sole comfort in this time. He hadn't felt any warmth from it since yesterday, but he was feeling pain. He had no idea what Katia was doing to get herself so banged up, but he couldn't help but worry about her.

His thoughts returned to all those voice logs and papers he'd found inside the First Magitek Facility. It hadn't just been his own origins he'd discovered, but hers as well. The empire had intended on using them as weapons. But she had stayed here, she hadn't been rescued. For six years she'd been experimented on. It was no wonder that she'd forgotten everything, who'd want to remember such things?

It didn't change his feelings for her though. They were both in the same boat, he sympathized with her and wished he could give her a hug. But she was still with the guys, and he had no way of knowing when he'd get back to them, or if they'd even want him back. If she'd want him back...

He looked back at the barcode, anger coursing through him. If only he didn't have this...thing... He began scratching at it furiously, not making any headway with the glove still on. "Damnit!" It wouldn't come off. But maybe we wasn't trying hard enough. All other thoughts out of his mind, he picked up one of the burnt logs and held it over his arm. He was going to get rid of this thing, one way or another.

He stuck the log on top of the barcode, feeling the burning pain as he hoped it would get rid of the brand. He began hearing a scream in his head and quickly dropped it, trying to recover. That scream, it almost sounded like Katia... He looked down at the arm, the barcode still there. Great, not only did it not work, but he just put the one he loved through needless pain. He brokenly laughed. "...Branded for life."

"Don't tell me you thought that would work," Prompto slowly raised his head at the sound of the voice. Aranea now stood at the entrance of the cave, looking at him with what he could only assume was pity. "'Prompto', right?" She walked over to him, took a potion and crushed it above his arm. She sat down at the fire beside him as he remained unresponsive. "You could at least look happy to see me." He continued to look at his arm, making gasps in response. Looks like she had to let out the news now.

"I ran into your buddies in Tenebrae," That seemed to get a response out of him as he finally looked over at her. "You've got 'em worried sick," The reaction only lasted a moment though, as he went back to looking down at the ground. "You gonna go see 'em or what?"

Prompto thought over the information he was told. His friends were worried about him? No, that was impossible. "I... I can't," he said. "I can't. ...I'm not like them. I was born here-in Niflheim," He didn't bother to bring up the part about Katia, it'd be better if she stayed in the dark and no one else knew. "All this time and I've never told them. And that's not even the worst part. I wasn't born into a happy family. I was _made_ -created in some laboratory. The entire reason I exist is to make Noct and all of them miserable. How could I possibly see them? They'd never accept the real me."

"You spent all that time driving around together and you still don't know what kinda guys _they_ really are," Aranea began, snapping Prompto out of his depressed stupor. "In case you forgot, your princely pal and I weren't always on such friendly terms. But you know what? He put all that aside and asked me to make sure you two were safe. Think he'd do that for someone who makes him miserable?"

"...He did?" Prompto asked, when the realization suddenly hit him. "Wait, you _two_?"

Aranea sighed. "That girl who was with you, Katia right? She wasn't with them. Guess she went running off after you, jumped right off the train."

Prompto's own worries suddenly vanished, replaced with concern over his soulmate. Was that why she was getting hurt so much? But he hadn't seen her at all, where could she have gone? "Do you know where she is?"

"Sorry, haven't seen her. I was kinda hoping she'd be with you. If I had to guess, she's on her way to Gralea. Don't take my word for it though."

Part of him wanted to be happy that she was looking for him, that she really did love him enough to do that. But the other part of him was too busy being consumed with worry. She was clearly getting banged up, but he didn't know why. He prayed to the Astrals that Ardyn hadn't found her, that was the last thing he needed.

The night went on, and Prompto continued to ask questions, before eventually getting pinned down by Aranea telling him that he needs to live his own life, think about what he wants. As she left him there, he could only think about one thing. Katia. She would accept him, she already knew about his barcode just as he knew about hers. He'd have to tell her the truth about herself, but that could wait until they were back together. Because he knew what he wanted, and what he wanted was to be with Katia. He just had to find her.

That night, he dreamt of her lying in a cell and calling his name. He hoped that it wasn't some kind of sign.


	21. Chapter 20: Locked Away

Katia didn't know how long she'd been here. Hours? Days? Weeks? She had no way of telling the time. All she knew was the pain. Most of the time she was left alone in her cell, but Ardyn would appear and mock her, or worse torture her. 

She tried to keep one thing in her mind throughout it all, one thing to keep her sane. Prompto. He was her beacon, and she knew that he'd find her. She continued to remind herself of that, knowing that it kept Ardyn from breaking her completely. No matter what he did to her, so long as she had that thought in mind she would stay strong.

She heard doors opening, knowing that Ardyn had returned. She put on a brave face, hoping that her scowl would be enough to deter him. It never was. The chancellor stood in front of her cell, a smirk on his face. "Hello again, my dear. And how are you doing today?"

Katia said nothing, she didn't want to give him the pleasure of a response. "Oh my, the silent treatment? What a pity. You've been so quiet lately, it breaks my heart."

She spit at him, hoping that some blood was mixed in with it. He was unaffected by it though. "Come now, you and I both know that you're better than these childish games. And here I was about to give you some good news."

"Knowing you, I doubt it'd be 'good' news." Katia spat, her voice hoarse from screaming.

"Oh but it is! Your dear, beloved Prompto is on his way here! Soon you'll be reunited with your precious soulmate once again."

"Why is it that I don't believe you?"

"Believe it or not, he will be here soon. And then the two of you will be back where you belong."

"Go fuck yourself."

Ardyn sighed. "You know, I've been considering just what to do with you, Katia. After all, I can only break your body so many times before it stops being interesting. And since not just Prompto, but the rest of your friends will be arriving soon, I figure it only be fitting to give them a surprise! After all, you never did have any daemons injected into you. But perhaps that can still be done. We can start up your old programming! Imagine, your dearest friends coming to find you, only to find a daemonized shell in your place. The looks on their faces when they have to fight their dearest friend, how wonderful it would be.

"Of course, that's just one possibility out of many that I'm considering. But for now, I believe we'll stick with the usual regimen." Ardyn stepped inside the cell, as Katia's eyes widened in horror. She prayed to the Astrals he wouldn't do that. She prayed that she'd be able to stay sane. The likelihood of her getting out of this undamaged was dwindling.

\---------------------------------

It was over. His "father" was dead. Prompto should've felt at peace, but something was still nagging at him. He knew what it was, and he knew what he had to do.

"You alright?" Aranea asked. No reason to keep her worried.

"Yeah. This is what I wanted." he said, still in shock that it happened.

"Then say it like you mean it. You did good, kid."

Prompto turned around and flashed a smile. "Couldn't have done it without _you_ , gurl!" He pointed at her for emphasis. With an awkward laugh, he walked over to the snowmobile. "...Seriously though," He stood there, thinking over what he had to do and where he had to go. "Well, I'd better catch up with Noct and the guys. He's got a lot on his plate, and I figure he could use a hand taking back the Crystal and all that. Besides, I gotta find Kat too. She's probably worried sick about me, and I'm worried sick about her. She's probably waiting for me in Gralea, I just got this feeling she is. And who knows? Maybe _we'll_ take the crystal back before _he_ does!" He began to sit on the snowmobile, feeling optimistic about what was ahead.

"Don't get ahead of yourself."

"Honestly, I don't know for sure if they're going to accept me for who I really am. I mean, I have no doubt that Kat will, but the others not so much. But I'll never know if I don't speak up, so I'm gonna tell 'em," He turned back to Aranea. "After all, it's my life to live."

Aranea smiled. "The boy has become a man. Anyway, Gralea's straight ahead. Good luck finding your girlfriend."

Prompto chose to ignore that last comment, starting up his ride. "Aranea!"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks!" And with that, he drove off into the snowy landscape. He knew he'd find her, and when he did he was going to tell her everything. He was going to make sure she knew about her origins as well. And when all of this was over...

He pulled the chocobo feather necklace out, staring at it with a fire in his heart. Katia was waiting for him in Gralea. He could feel it. And they'd both find the guys there. No matter what happened, they'd face it together. He slipped the necklace back in his coat, to keep it from the cold.

He didn't know if it was because he was distracted or because his guard was down, but all of a sudden Prompto's world went black.

\---------------------------------

When he finally came to, he heard the sounds of footsteps echoing against a hard floor. He slowly opened his eyes, finding himself in a dark series of rooms. His hands were bound and he couldn't move. He let out a small groan, alerting the person walking in front of him.

"Did you sleep well, Prompto?" Ardyn asked. "How lucky you are to wake up now, you're just in time to visit my other guest!"

"Huh? Guest?" Prompto muttered, his head feeling light. He didn't get an answer though. They entered some kind of holding area filled with cells. Was he being imprisoned here?

"Are you awake? You have a visitor here to see you!" Ardyn called out to one of the cells. Prompto looked inside, the sight waking him up instantly. Lying on the ground was Katia, curled up into a ball and riddled with bruises and scars. She was shaking, or perhaps shivering? It was hard to tell. Her wristband was missing, her hand covering her own barcode. He didn't miss the bloodstains on the floor either. This was why he kept feeling pain.

"What have you done to her?!" Prompto shouted, trying to break free from the grip of the MTs that held him.

Ardyn merely laughed. "It's merely punishment for failing to do her duties."

"Let her go! She's not the one you want!"

"Oh, on the contrary. I want both you and her. How else am I going to lure Noctis without his best friends?"

Katia let out a groan as she slowly sat up. Her hair fell in front of the right side of her face, and her arms shook as she looked up. Ardyn stepped to the side, allowing her to see Prompto in full view. The one eye he could see widened at the sight of him. "P...Prom?" she asked, her hoarse voice breaking his heart.

"You see? I told you he'd be coming. And you didn't believe me." Ardyn said.

"Kat! I'm gonna get you out of here! I swear it!" Prompto thrashed against his bonds, desperately trying to reach her. He couldn't sit there and let this continue. Not when she had such a frightened look in her eyes.

"Ah, young love. Isn't it the sweetest thing? A pity this reunion must be so short." Ardyn snapped his fingers, signaling the MTs to take Prompto away.

Prompto continued to struggle, but no matter what he did he couldn't break free. "KATIA! I'LL COME BACK FOR YOU! I PROMISE!" He looked back, seeing her reach out for him. Her desperation was clear as day. He wouldn't let Ardyn keep her here.

"PROMPTO!" Katia shouted back, a coughing fit erupting from her dry and damaged throat.

Ardyn merely chuckled, making his way out. "Farewell Katia! I have to spend some quality time with your dear Prompto. But don't worry, I'll be back for you soon enough." The doors closed behind him, leaving her alone. For the first time since she'd been brought here, Katia cried. Her one hope had been captured. She had no idea what she could do now. The crying only intensified when she felt a sudden pain in her nose. This was all her fault.


	22. Chapter 21: Revealing Secrets

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Would you like some fluff with that angst?

Katia wasn't sure what was real and what wasn't. She'd been sitting in that cell for so long, it felt like an eternity. She could hear the screams, the awful painful screams, and she tried to block them out the best she could. But she still heard them, and she still felt the pain that accompanied them. She had so little to hold on to, so little to believe in, she was starting to think she'd never make it out of here. That she'd be stuck in this place for the rest of her life. And part of her believed she deserved it.

She heard the doors open, the sound of multiple footsteps following after. And to her surprise, she heard the cell door swing open as someone ran inside. "Kat! Are you alright?"

She looked up, her hair still covering the right side of her face and her hand hiding her wrist from sight. Laying on his knees beside her was Prompto, his nose red and his arms covered in bruises, his hands hovering over her as if he was scared to touch her. He looked like he was about to start crying.

"P...Prom?" she muttered, her voice sounding foreign to her from how damaged it had been. She desperately wanted to hug him, to cling to him as if he were her lifeline, but she was afraid. She knew Ardyn liked to toy with her, she had no way of knowing if this was the real thing. "But...are you real?"

Prompto didn't seem to understand her question. "What, what're you talking about?"

"Prove to me you're real... Prove to me that you're the real Prompto!"

A light seemed to go off in his head. "Alright, I will," Without hesitation, he took his right hand and held her left hand with it. After a brief moment, she began to feel the comforting warmth that was so familiar to her. The warmth that could only come from their bond. The warmth that couldn't be faked. He squeezed her hand to prove it further. "That enough to tell ya it's me?"

Katia couldn't control the tears that fell from her eyes, burying her head into Prompto's chest. As he wrapped his arms around her, she could hear the sound of his heartbeat. It was so comforting, so real. It felt like home.

"Is she alright?" Noctis' voice snapped her back to reality as she left Prompto's embrace, quickly hiding her wrist again. Sure enough, Noctis was standing outside the cell with Ignis and Gladio. In any other instance she'd feel relieved, but not now.

"I'm not sure." Prompto replied.

"Prom," Katia whispered to him, snapping his attention back to her. "My wristband's gone, I can't let them see my...my..."

"Don't worry, I got you covered," With that, he took off the bandanna wrapped around his arm and tied it around her wrist. It completely covered her barcode, allowing her to hide her secret. "There you go, it's like it never went away."

Six, what did she do to deserve him? "Thank you."

His attention turned from her wrist to her face. The first time he'd seen her, he thought her hair had been covering her face just because it fell that way while she'd been lying down. But it was clear that she was hiding something. He recalled that he'd felt some pain in his face while he'd been exploring the First Magitek Facility, did this have something to do with that? "Kat, let me see your face."

She froze, looking almost desperate. "Prom no! My face is...it's..." She couldn't spit out the last words.

"Katia please, I have to see it. I need to know what he did to you." Before she could object any further, he pushed her hair away from her face and tucked it behind her ear. And what he saw only lighted his anger. The right side of her face was covered in scars, deep set ones at that. There were at least four, all of them made with a knife or dagger. Some dried blood was still sitting next to them. Prompto couldn't believe what he was seeing, he was going to kill Ardyn for doing this.

"I told you not to look..." She looked down at the ground, her hands shaking. "I look terrible now, I'm not..." Her breath hitched as she tried to hold back more tears.

This was wrong. Katia had never cared about her appearance so much before, not to the point that she'd hide anything aside from the barcode. Sure, it was a lot of scars, but it shouldn't have affected her this much. This wasn't the same Katia he'd last seen on the train. This was worse than her heartbreak-induced depression. Ardyn had hurt her in more ways than one, and it broke Prompto's heart to watch his brave and strong girlfriend cry over her face and how she thought it made her look terrible. He had to fix this.

He pulled her back into his arms, stroking her back softly. "Kat, you're still adorable and beautiful. No amount of scars is gonna change that. It certainly won't change how I feel about you. I love you, Katia. I always will. Nothing's gonna change that."

He felt her breathing steady itself as he wiped away a tear. Katia looked down at her wrist again, her hand balled up into a fist. "Prom, you and I... We're both... We're..."

Prompto shushed her. "I know, we can talk about it later. For now, do you think you can try to smile for me? Even if it's fake?"

"I don't..."

"Um, I hate to break up this lovers reunion and all, but we got a crystal to grab so you two mind saving the sappy stuff for later?" Gladio asked, reminding the both of them of the reason they were here.

Prompto turned to face Gladio, a sheepish laugh escaping him. "Right, sorry," He stood up, holding out his hand for Katia. "Can you walk okay?"

Katia nodded her head, taking his hand and standing up. It was then that Noctis and Gladio got a good look at her face. "That had to hurt." Noctis said. Katia didn't respond.

"In any case, Gladio is correct. Let us find the Crystal and leave this dreadful place." Everyone agreed silently. The group made their way out, the cell far behind her. She kept close to Prompto, not just in fear that he'd disappear if she let go, but because she still worried over the rest of the guys.

\-----------------------------------

The group returned to the central hub, Ignis insisting that he heard a similar sound to the one on the train. Katia didn't know what he was talking about, but figured she could ask about it later once all this was over. All she cared about right now was getting the Crystal, leaving, and never coming back.

"It's here!" Ignis growled upon reaching the center platform. In front of them was a circular shaped room.

"This thing?" Noctis asked as they ran around trying to find a door. They found it, but as Noctis pressed his hand against it nothing happened. "It's locked."

Ignis and Gladio stood behind him, the shield looking around for something that could let them inside. "It's coming from within. Is there no way through?" Ignis asked.

"There's a way." The three of them turned to face Prompto, Katia still standing next to him. His face was unusually serious as he slowly walked forward, facing the strange device next to the door. Before Katia could ask what he was doing, he raised his right wrist up to the panel, the light changing from red to green. Wait, he wasn't doing what she thought he was, has he? The door opened, but Prompto stopped them from entering.

"So, MTs... They've got those codeprints...just like I do." Wait, like he did? Just him? Why was he only outing himself?

"Do they? Never looked." Noctis said nonchalantly. Was he just taking this well, or didn't understand exactly what Prompto meant by that?

"Yeah... So, as it turns out... I'm one of them," Katia couldn't believe what she was hearing. Prompto was just admitting the truth to all of them, without hesitation! "Not exactly something I could tell people growing up in Lucis. Still..." He looked like he was about to start crying. "You guys are like...the only friends I've ever known. I just hope that things can stay the way they were."

Katia didn't know what to do. Should she come clean about it too, or just act surprised about it? Her head felt like a jumbled mess. Of course she didn't care about Prompto's origins, but what about the others?

"Whatever. Who cares where you were born?" Noctis asked.

"I don't see you turning against us. Not now, or ever." Ignis stated. Gladio didn't say anything, but surely he had similar sentiments.

"You already know my answer," Katia mumbled. "I don't care, it doesn't change a thing about us." She figured for now, she should at least say something lest she be suspected. Though there were probably no doubts among the others about how she felt.

"Thanks guys. Still...I can't change where I came from. What I am."

"Since when does where you come from matter to you?" Noctis asked, surprising both Prompto and Katia. "You never once treated me as a prince." He lightly punched him on the shoulder.

"He's got you there." Gladio finally spoke.

"Never so much as a 'Highness'." Ignis added.

"We're done here. C'mon, crown citizen." Noctis said.

"You're one of us, right?" Gladio asked, lightly tapping Prompto as he lead Ignis into the room. Both Prompto and Katia were frozen where they stood. That just happened. They accepted him for who he was. Part of Katia wanted to tell them the truth as well, but her circumstances were different. In her current state, she had no confidence to tell them about her past.

"Unless you'd rather not be." Ignis smirked.

Prompto just nodded his head, his fears cast away. He looked over at Katia, taking her hand and giving her a comforting smile. Almost like he was telling her it was safe to tell them. But she couldn't. Not now. Even still, she attempted a weak smile and walked in with Prompto. At least she could feel happy for him being accepted, even if she didn't see the same happening for her.

As Noctis destroyed the machine, her gaze traveled towards the empty throne and the clothes that rested there. She didn't even need to guess to know what it meant. Emperor Aldercapt, her "father", was already dead. Guess that was closure she would never get. But in a way, she didn't mind. He never knew about her existence, and perhaps it was better that way. She only ever had one dad, one that had loved her and raised her. Iedolas Aldercapt would never be in that league to her. It was simply a door that would remain closed, and as she could feel her lance back in her hands again, the thought of that gave a small bit of solace to her troubled mind.

\---------------------------------

She wished she could say she felt comfortable sitting in a bed instead of lying on the floor, but that simply wasn't the case. Iedolas was definitely dead now, they'd just killed him. Or rather what was left of him. He'd turned into a daemon. She should be happy that man was gone, but she just felt disgusted. She didn't even have a good reason for it, she just felt that way. She curled her legs closer to her, all her thoughts running wild.

She felt a hand on her shoulder, not feeling surprised to see Prompto standing there. "Hey." he said.

"...Hey." she replied.

"Mind if I sit here? You look like you got a lot on your mind."

"Sure, go ahead. I could use you right now."

Prompto sat on the bed next to her, wrapping his arm around her and holding her close. He had no idea what to say to her, so much was probably bothering her. But she spoke first.

"Why'd you tell them?"

"Huh?"

"I mean, about being an MT. Why'd you tell them?"

Prompto sighed. "Because I knew I had to. I needed to know if they'd still accept me for who I am. I couldn't live with myself if I didn't tell them. They deserved to know."

"Then why didn't you tell them about me?"

"Because that's your business. You're the only one who has the right to tell them. ...Are you gonna tell them?"

"I...I don't know. I mean, I have no idea how much you know about my situation, but turns out I'm a...'special'...case. It's not as simple for me. I don't know if they'll accept me so easily like they did you."

"Well, if my opinion matters at all, I think you should tell them. Not right now, but when you're ready. I'll be there for you when you do. It'll be fine, I'm sure of it."

Katia didn't say anything, only letting out a sigh. She wanted to believe him, but too many doubts and worries were swimming in her head. Maybe it was better if she just changed the subject. "So how much did you learn about my situation?"

"A lot."

"Then you know who we just killed back there, right?"

"Yeah. I know. If it makes you feel any better, I had to kill mine too. It...wasn't easy. But I had to do it. He was a madman."

"It's just, I wish I'd gotten some answers. I want to know why he did this to me. But I guess I'll never know."

"Does it matter? Honestly, I think we've both learned far more than we wanted to. And in the end, you're still you," He cupped her face in his hand. "You're Katia Ferrum, the love of my life, member of the Crownsguard, and citizen of Lucis. You're still human. We both are. No barcodes are ever gonna change that. Remember that, okay?"

Katia felt like crying again. She didn't deserve him. He was too sweet and warm. She knew everything he said was true, but she couldn't make herself believe any of it. She felt pathetic, more so than when she'd been jealous about Cindy. "I love you." she managed to spit out, unable to form a better response.

Prompto smiled, kissing her scarred cheek. "Love you too, Kat. I wish I could be more helpful right now, but this is all I can do."

"Hey, we should get moving." Noctis said, standing near the bed the two of them were sitting on.

"Yeah, you're right," Prompto stood up, Katia following him. "We'll finish this later, okay? Besides, I have something important I need to talk to you about."

"Huh? Why not just bring it up now?"

"This isn't really the right time for it. It'll be better if we wait til we're out of here. But I still think you should let the others know the truth. Not all of it, but just some of it. No sense in hiding it."

Katia looked down at her feet. "I'll...I'll think about it," It was the best answer she could give, but his beautiful smile told her it was enough. "Prom, what'd I do to deserve you?"

Prompto blinked, surprised at the sudden question. "Easy, you let me talk to you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter might take a while because I have to figure out some...things...that I'm doing with the chapter, but hopefully it won't take too long!


	23. Chapter 22: Stand By Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, nothing actually happens but just gonna leave a mild warning for potential NSFW content. I will write the actual scene later, but this fic needs to keep its T rating. Sorry if you were hoping for something sexy.

They couldn't believe it. Noctis was gone.

After killing what used to be Ravus Nox Fluret, they'd all stayed back to fight the daemons so Noctis could retrieve the Crystal. What they hadn't known was that would be the last they'd see of him for a long time to come. When they went to meet with him, only Ardyn was there, telling them that he now resided inside the Crystal. Prompto's anger overtook him as the chancellor walked away, and without hesitation he shot him. Only for him to get right back up as if he'd never been injured.

To say the situation was rough would be an understatement.

But with nothing else they could do, the group of four left Zegnatus Keep and made the flight back to Lestallum. No one spoke the entire time, the air hard to read as everyone was trying to make sense of the situation. Katia was clinging to Prompto, still in shock from everything that had happened. She felt like she was about to overload from it all, the feeling of Prompto's hand in hers the sole thing keeping her from breaking out into sobbing.

After what felt like far too long in silence, they finally reached the one safe city left. Ignis went his own way, saying there was business he had to take care of now that he was back in the city. The remaining three went to the Leville, being lucky to get two rooms with how hectic things were. Katia overheard Gladio tell Prompto that he was leaving them alone and that he'd try to get a hold of Cor, but that was all she got from their conversation as she headed into the bathroom for a long-needed shower.

She'd hoped that the running water would help calm her nerves, but it just made her think about everything she'd been through in the past week. How Ardyn had hurt her, how much the truth actually hurt her, all that could go through her head was everything that had happened since she jumped off the train no matter how much she tried to think about anything else. As she'd gotten out of the shower and washed her face with sink water, she looked in the mirror and saw herself for the first time since she'd been captured.

She didn't even look like herself anymore.

Exiting the bathroom wearing nothing but a bathrobe, she sat down onto the bed and tried to keep herself from crying. She stared at the barcode, feeling disgusted with herself and what she really was. She tried to cover it back up with the bandanna, but it still felt like it was glaring at her, reminding her of the truth. The next thing she knew, Prompto was sitting next to her on the bed, a solemn look on his face. Not even he could brighten things up now. "Are you gonna be okay?" he asked.

She sat there for a moment, uncertain about how to answer that question. "I...I don't know..." she said.

"You wanna talk about it? We're alone now, and you don't have to worry about anyone walking in on us. So you can let everything out. I'm here to listen."

She couldn't do it anymore, she couldn't hold back the tears that desperately needed to escape. She buried her head in Prompto's chest as the tears fell and the sobs escaped. Prompto just wrapped his arms around her, stroking her damp hair in the hopes that it'd help comfort her. Among the muffled sobbing he managed to hear her say "It's all my fault!"

"What? No it isn't, what makes you say that?"

"I should've noticed it was Ardyn on the train! I should've stayed with Noct instead of jumping off to find you! Hell, I shouldn't have even come with you guys because then none of this would've happened!"

"Woah, Kat, calm down, you're thinking irrationally again. What happened on the train wasn't your fault, none of us could've known what Ardyn was doing. And jumping off the train, you were just doing what you felt was right. I would've done the same thing if it were you who'd gotten pushed off," He let go of her and let her sit back up. "But why do you think you shouldn't have come with us? None of what happened was because of you."

"Prom, I'm not just some escaped MT, I was purposefully let out! I only thought I was escaping! Their goal was to dump me in Insomnia from the beginning! I was supposed to be their spy! My headaches were the cause of them trying to activate my 'programming'! I have no idea how much of my life was mine to control, I have no idea how many of my decisions were of my own free will!" She stood up from the bed, her body shaking as she went towards the window. "For all I know, I became friends with Noct because that's what I was told to do! I'm just some failed experiment they repurposed, and they've probably kept their eyes on me my whole life! All those times the Empire attacked us was probably because they knew where I was! People are dead and the sun is gone, and it's all my fucking fault!" She continued to cry, her fears and anxieties laid out.

Prompto said nothing, instead he silently walked over to Katia and started hugging her again. The crying stopped as she looked at him in confusion, noticing that tears of his own were slipping down his face. "Katia Ferrum, you know that none of that is true," he said, stopping her before she could ask what he was doing. "You know why you and Noct became friends, and that's because he literally pushed me over to where you were sitting so I would talk to you. He's been our wingman since day one. It had nothing to do with some 'programming' or whatever. It's because of me. And I read the papers, they had no idea where you were or if you were even alive. They had no way to track you or influence you. Everything you've done has been because of your decisions, not theirs. No one's dead because of you. You're not their experiment. You're a person with hopes, feelings, dreams, and they're all your own.

"Besides, it's a good thing you came with us. If you hadn't, I'd probably still be chasing after Cindy like an idiot," He wiped the tears from her face. "And I'd never have realized the one I really love was right in front of me. I'd never have found my soulmate. I'd already given up hope of ever meeting them years ago, and I'm so happy it turned out to be you."

"Prom..."

"Everything you're thinking, it's because of what Ardyn did to you. Because this isn't you. I don't know what he did to you, but I can tell it's messing you up badly. And I swear to you, I'll stay here by your side and help you get through this. I won't leave you, my Chocobabe."

A small snicker forced itself out of Katia, a small smile following it. "'Chocobabe'? Really?" Her voice was still shaky and the tears were still flowing, but he got her to laugh and smile and that was enough for him.

"There's the girl I know and love," He pressed his forehead against hers. "And I mean it. No matter how long it takes to get over the damage Ardyn did, I'll be right by your side."

The two of them eventually made their way onto the bed, Katia's fears subsided for now. The look in her eyes was enough to tell Prompto that she still wasn't better, but he knew this would take small steps. They snuggled against each other, taking in the warmth of the other. It felt peaceful, it felt right. They were together again and it was going to stay that way. But a few things were still bothering Katia. "Hey Prom?"

"Yeah?"

"What were you and Gladio talking about?"

"Oh right, that. Well, seeing as this is the safest place and all the refugees are scrambling to get here, we can't stay here forever. There just isn't enough room. So for now we're recovering and figuring out what to do while we wait for Noct. Gladio's gonna try to get in touch with Cor, see what he thinks we should do, and then we're gonna go from there. But no matter what, I'm gonna make sure we stick together."

"Alright, makes sense. What was it that you wanted to talk to me about that had to wait?"

"That? Well, erm, that can wait a bit. I'm not exactly ready to talk about it now that I think about it. But soon, I promise. Just give it some time, okay?" His cheeks were tinted pink as he spoke.

She felt confused, but figured he had his reasons. "Alright. If you say so."

"You getting hungry at all? 'Cause I'm starving. I can go get us some food."

While she was feeling rather hungry, the idea of Prompto leaving scared her. She was still afraid that she'd discover this was nothing but a dream. But she also didn't want to leave the hotel, for fear that she'd be taken back to that horrible place. This was definitely going to take some time, but she had to make a decision.

Prompto noticed the look of uncertainty on her face, instantly knowing what she was worried about. "Ya know, Gladio's in the room right next to us. If you're worried about being alone then you can go hang out with him while I grab some food. Besides, I'm sure he's worried 'bout you, so hanging out with him is sure to make him chill out."

There he goes again, knowing what was bothering her and knowing just what to say to help her worries. "I could go for a grilled cheese right now."

"No problem, I'll go find one for you," He kissed her scarred cheek and sat up from the bed. "If you're worried about me, just send me a text and I'll whisk those fears away."

Katia tried to smile. "Okay, got it."

Prompto made his way to the door, turning back to look at her. "By the way, you look a lot better without the blood on your face. Still as adorable as ever too."

\------------------------------------------

Two weeks passed. It felt like so much longer without the rising sun to tell them of another day. Just as he'd expected, Katia's recovery was slow, but progress was being made. In just those two weeks, she started to smile again. She'd also started to go back out onto the streets again, although she covered her face when she did. She claimed it was so she wouldn't freak people out in the marketplace. The scars themselves she began getting used to. No longer did she look in the mirror and recoil, they were just another part of her now.

But Prompto could tell that there was still a long way to go. Her sleeping was worse than before. Either she couldn't get sleep at all, or she'd need to be woken up from the terrible nightmares. Dark circles had already began to form under her eyes. She also hadn't been acting like herself. She still laughed at his jokes and had those quirks that he thought was absolutely adorable, but her anxiety was still eating away at her. He did everything he could to calm her down, but her fears would come back eventually. He kept going though, because he knew he could bring her back. He was the only one who could.

Cor had finally gotten in touch with them, informing the four of them that the daemons were prowling all over the place. There were only so many hunters out there, and they needed help. So that's what they'd do. Ignis decided he was going to stay in Lestallum. He was still getting used to his blindness and wanted to stay in familiar ground while he got his skills back. And while he didn't say it, it was obvious he was staying there to be with the woman he loved. Gladio wanted to go back to Cape Caem to make sure Iris and Talcott were still alright, then he was going to mostly stay around Duscae and come back to Lestallum when needed to. Prompto and Katia decided they would go back to Hammerhead. They'd gotten word that Cid and Cindy were still safe and the outpost had been converted into an HQ for hunters. Plus it was close to Insomnia, their old home, and Prompto had a feeling that Noctis would return around there. Everyone would keep in touch, making sure everyone was alive and delivering supplies if needed. All in all, the plans seemed solid.

Katia stared out the window in their hotel room, watching the people go about their day as best they could in this world. She was gonna miss this place. She knew she'd come back, but tomorrow she'd be leaving for Hammerhead. It felt sad in a sense. She had just started getting used to life here, but she knew they couldn't stay. There just wasn't enough room. She glanced over at Prompto, who was looking over everything they had and making sure it was packed up. Not that there was much to look through. All they had was what they scavenged from the wrecked Regalia and a few other things they'd purchased the past two weeks. "Hey Prom?"

Prompto looked up from their bags, making his way over to his girlfriend. "What is it Kat? You need something? You okay?"

Katia shook her head, she loved Prompto and was happy that he cared, but sometimes he went a little overboard. "No, I'm okay. It's just...shit, how do I put this?"

"You need a sec?"

"No, no, I think I got it," She took a deep breath. "I was wondering, isn't this the same hotel room we stayed in when we confessed?"

Prompto blinked, surprised by the strange question. He looked around the room, looking for a sign that this was that very same room but found nothing. "Maybe? I can't tell. Why?"

Katia's face started turning red. "Well, I was thinking, since this is our last night in Lestallum and all, and if this is the same room, maybe we could have, um, another first in here?"

"Another first? Kat what're you-" And then suddenly the meaning of her words hit him. Was she seriously suggesting that of all things? He looked at the bed not occupied by their bags, his face heating up at the thought. "You mean, you wanna have, you wanna do..." He couldn't find himself finishing his sentence, but she seemed to get the idea.

"I-I mean, we don't have to! If you don't want to, because I do want to and all! That is-"

"No! I mean, I'm cool with it! I just didn't think you wanted to yet!"

"Really? So you wanna do it?"

"Yeah! Definitely!"

The two of them stood there in silence, their faces red as tomatoes. They had no idea what to do now. This was a first for both of them. "I'm gonna, go get ready!" Prompto said, dashing into the bathroom.

Katia took another deep breath. There was nothing to worry about, it was just sex. They were both inexperienced, that's all. They were gonna have to do it at some point anyway, might as well get it over with. Then it'd be more comfortable later on. Besides, she knew the rumors. Sex with one's soulmate was supposed to be different, special, so even with their total awkwardness about this the experience would be something they'd never forget.

She began taking off her clothes, lying them on one of the chairs as she did so. She glanced at the bandanna on her arm, which hadn't left her arm since they came here. Well, it wasn't like she needed it right now. She took it off and set it with the rest of her clothes, exposing her markings. With that, she walked over and sat on the bed, anticipating Prompto's return and feeling strangely self-conscious about her exposed body.

It wasn't long before he finally stepped out of the bathroom, clothes in one hand and a small wrapper in the other. At least they were being safe. Prompto had shed his gloves and bracelets as well, probably with the same idea in mind. After dumping his clothes on another chair, he turned to her and froze. She suddenly hid her chest from view. "I-I know, they're not as big as Cindy's are..."

"Huh? Are you still hung up on that? I don't care about the size, you're still beautiful." He spoke honestly. He'd be lying if he said he'd never imagined what she looked like underneath her clothes, but actually seeing it in front of him put all those thoughts to shame. Her body looked absolutely stunning.

Katia lowered her arms, flattered by the compliment. "Sorry, I feel really weird about this for no good reason."

"You don't have to force yourself to do this, Kat. If you're not ready, I can wait."

"No, I'm ready! I _want_ to do this! I'm just...nervous." She looked at him, getting a good look at his own body. She too would be lying if she said she'd never thought of what he looked like without clothes. And looking down she was rather surprised at what she saw. That hadn't been in her fantasies.

Prompto looked where she was staring, suddenly ashamed of his body as well and quickly hiding it. "I'm sorry! It's probably not what you were expecting!"

"Prom, it's fine! It's just, um...bigger...than I expected..."

The two of them were back to being blushing messes. Katia looked back up at Prompto's face, feeling more certain than ever that she wanted to do this. "So uh, we should probably get started, right?"

Prompto snapped out of his trance, fumbling with the small wrapper as he tried to open it. "Yeah, right, we should."

\-------------------------------------------

They lied on the bed, their breathing heavy as they came down from the high they just experienced. So many thoughts hit them all at once, neither of them knowing exactly what to say. After all, what was one supposed to say after that experience?

"So, um, that was awkward." Katia finally spoke up.

"Isn't that how your first time's supposed to be?" Prompto asked as he moved a strand of hair out of his face.

"Yeah, I guess so. ...It felt really good though. We need to do that more often."

"Yeah, totally."

The silence returned. Katia grabbed hold of Prompto's hand, the feeling that their bond had gotten stronger flowing through her. For the first time since leaving Gralea, she felt like everything was going to be alright. She moved closer to him, snuggling against his bare chest as she felt at peace. She felt Prompto wrap his arms around her. The silence didn't feel so awkward, it felt nice.

They stayed like that for a while, just enjoying the feeling of being next to each other. She could've just fallen asleep right there, but there was something she needed to tell him. "Hey Prom, I've been thinking about it for a while now, and I've decided I'm going to tell them. I'm gonna tell Iggy and Gladio about my barcode tomorrow."

"Really? What made you change your mind so suddenly?"

"I dunno. I guess I just don't want to hide anything anymore. They deserve to know the truth," She looked down at her wrist. "And I don't want this thing to haunt me anymore. I don't think I'll get any better until I do. You're right, I'm not Niflheim's experiment, I'm Katia Ferrum. That's who I've always been and it's who I'll keep being."

Prompto's smile couldn't have been bigger. This was the Katia he wanted back, and there she was. Obviously, getting over what she went through would still take time, but this was a huge step and it made him happy. He placed a kiss on her forehead. "Funny you should say that actually."

"Huh? What's that supposed to mean?"

Prompto got up out of the bed. "I was gonna save this for tomorrow morning, but screw it. I want to ask you now," He walked around the room, searching through his discarded clothes and then their belongings until he found what he was looking for. He hid it behind his back, shaking the nerves from his mind. They just had sex, this would be nothing compared to that! Katia had gotten out of the bed as well to put her underwear back on. He walked over to her, an air of confidence radiating through him. "You know how I keep saying there's something I wanted to talk to you about? Well, here it is!

"I feel like the luckiest man in the world. I have great friends, and I have you. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me, and I mean it. I thought about a lot when I was in Niflheim, about you and me, about the future, and I came to a decision. I know what I want, and what I want is to be happy with you. I want to stay by your side, make you laugh, have a family, but there's obviously something I gotta ask you first," Before she could ask anything, he got down on one knee and pulled a small box from behind his back. He opened it and inside was a gold ring with a chocobo feather engraved on it. "Katia Ferrum, will you marry me?"

She was speechless. This was happening, this was actually happening. Prompto was proposing to her. Her best friend, boyfriend, and soulmate was actually asking her to marry him. She broke down into tears and practically fell on him as she hugged him. "Yes! Yes! A million times yes! Of course I'll marry you!"

Once she let go, Prompto slipped the ring onto her finger. "Sorry I couldn't get you anything fancier, I was just lucky enough to find a ring at all."

"Prom, I don't give a shit what the ring looks like, I love it either way!" A realization hit her and she began to laugh.

"Huh? What's so funny?"

"It's just, only you would propose to me while being completely naked. And that's part of the reason I love you so much."

It hadn't occurred to him that he hadn't put anything on after their sudden escapade. He quickly grabbed his own underwear, nearly falling over as he tried to get it on in a hurry.

They quickly returned to the bed, eager to be back under the covers and in each others arms. "So when's the wedding gonna be?" Katia asked.

"Well, uh, that's the thing. I hope you don't mind, but I was kinda hoping we could wait?"

"Wait for what?"

"For Noct to come back. I mean, it's thanks to him we got to this point, and he's our best friend, so I want him to be the best man at our wedding. I want to marry you when the sun's back, that way I can see just how beautiful you look in your dress. That is, if you don't mind waiting that long?"

Katia just smiled and kissed his cheek. "It's fine. Noct should be there to see everything. I doubt he'd want to miss out on our wedding after all. So yeah, I can wait."

"Thanks Kat."

"Anything for you, Prom." Katia's eyes suddenly widened, startling Prompto.

"What? What's wrong?"

"Gladio's in the room next door to us right?" Prompto nodded his head. "You don't think he heard what we did, do you? I mean, we weren't exactly the quietest."

The horror of the idea hit Prompto. It was going to be awkward enough to bring that up with the guys, but if Gladio actually heard them he'd never hear the end of it. "Nah! I doubt it! Let's not worry about it!"

"Alright, fair enough. Let's get some sleep. We got a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

The two of them smiled at each other as they curled up with each other. It took a while for Katia to fall asleep as usual these days, but the thought that her boyfriend, no, her _fiance_ , was going to stay by her side was enough to calm her down. Feeling Prompto's arms wrap around her, she closed her eyes, with hope for their future in her heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The epilogue is next! Get excited folks!


	24. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully it isn't too obvious that I haven't been to a wedding in 11 years.
> 
> Also I'm shamelessly plugging the stories Do You Believe In Destiny and A Wild Dreamer because the OCs of those stories show up in this chapter and they're very good fics, please take a look.

Katia's eyes slowly blinked open as she awakened from her slumber, the sound of her phone's alarm rousing her from sleep. If it were any other day, she'd hit the snooze button and get a few more minutes of rest, but not today. Today was something special. She reached for her phone shutting the alarm off and letting herself wake up before jumping out of bed. She noticed the lack of arms around her and turned around, seeing Prompto already awake and looking at her with a smirk. "Morning, beautiful," he said, pulling her in close. "You sleep well?"

Katia giggled. "Morning, handsome," she said as a yawn escaped her. "I slept just fine. After all, I had you by my side all night."

"I dunno, sounds to me like you're not ready to leave the bed."

"You know I've never been good with being woken up. I just need a few minutes."

"If you need help waking up faster, I think I have the perfect solution." He looked into her eyes as his hand slowly traveled down her side.

She didn't have to be fully awake to understand what he meant. "Prom, no, we have to get ready. Besides, you'll have plenty of time for that later tonight."

"Awwwww, come on Kat! It'll be quick, I promise!" He began making that sad puppy face as he whined.

"Prom, I said no. We have a lot to do today!" She tried her hardest to resist his charms.

"Please, Chocobabe?"

Katia let out a sigh, clearly he wasn't going to take no for an answer. "Alright, but it has to be quick."

"What has to be quick?"

The sound of a third voice snapped the pair out of their mood, causing them to turn their heads towards the end of the bed. Sitting there, an innocent smile on her face, was a young six year-old girl. Her long blond hair was a mess, her face was littered with freckles, and her blue eyes were focused on the couple in front of her. They hadn't even heard her enter the room.

"Soleil, sweetie, you know you're supposed to knock on the door before you enter." Katia said, relieved that she hadn't seen anything.

"Oh right, oops. Sorry, mama." Soleil said.

Prompto reached over, picking up their daughter and bringing her closer. "And just what are you doing up so early, Nugget?" he asked.

"I can't help it! It's so bright outside and I couldn't go back to sleep!" Soleil whined, pointing towards the window as sunlight filtered through the curtains.

Prompto chuckled as he ruffled her hair. "It's been a month and yet you're still not used to the sun?"

"Well you can't really blame her, she's grown up in endless night her whole life." Katia said.

She looked at the two next to her, Prompto having initiated a tickle attack on Soleil, and smiled. Ten years had passed and she was blessed with a wonderful family. She looked at Prompto, the love of her life, noting just how much had changed and how much had stayed the same. His freckles had gotten harder to see, he'd lost his baby face, and a noticeable goatee sat on his chin; though he still had that chocobo hair, his sunshine personality, and all the love for her in the world. She couldn't have asked for a more perfect soulmate.

Of course, the years had changed her as well. Her scars had healed to the best of their ability, her hair now went past her shoulders, and some smaller scars now littered her body, but at heart she was still the same. She wished she could let this happy moment continue, but they had a long day. "Alright you two, that's enough tickle fights for now. I think it's about time we have some breakfast before Aunt Cindy and Aunt Iris get here."

"Yay! Breakfast!" Soleil shouted as she jumped off the bed and headed towards the door. "I want strawberry waffles!"

The two of them giggled as their daughter left. She was a ball of energy that brightened up their lives. Finally getting out of bed, Katia was surprised when she felt Prompto's arm wrap around her from behind. "I guess we'll have to save the fun for tonight after all." he pouted.

"Well well, someone's feeling greedy today aren't they?" Katia asked.

"I can't help it, today's the day we've been waiting ten years for. Can't I be a little enthusiastic?"

"Save it for later, Chocobo-Butt."

Prompto kissed her cheek, his goatee brushing against her skin. "I'm allowed that at least?"

"Of course. Now let's hurry before Soleil starts whining about her starving to death."

They followed their daughter down to the kitchen, and as she began making the waffles Soleil was clamoring for Katia found herself staring out the window. It was still early in the morning so not many people were awake yet, but the sun shining down on Insomnia's streets always managed to warm her heart. There was still a lot that needed to be repaired, Insomnia was a huge city after all, but being back home after so long felt nice. No more daemons, no more Ardyn, it was all so wonderful. Even without it's king, she knew that Insomnia would flourish. People had already started returning and doing what they could to help.

The rest of the morning passed by uneventfully, with Soleil eating her waffles and asking all kinds of questions.

"So who's gonna be there?"

"Just about everyone we know. They've all been waiting for this as much as we have."

"Does that mean Ordo's gonna be there?" Soleil's eyes sparkled as she asked the question.

"Of course Ordo's coming. Uncle Iggy and Aunt Eleiza are pretty important for today, as is Ordo. In fact, you're gonna stay at their place tonight!"

"Yaaaaaay! But why am I staying at Uncle Iggy's?"

"'Cause the hotel room is only for two people, Nugget."

"I already know Uncle Gladio's gonna be there, but what about Uncle Noct? Is Uncle Noct coming?"

Katia and Prompto froze. A month had passed since their best friend's sacrifice but they still hadn't explained what happened to their daughter. "No, Uncle Noct isn't coming. He's...been too busy. But he wishes he could come and see you again," Katia said. They'd tell her the truth one day, just not today. "Now hurry up and go get your dress on. Aunt Cindy and Aunt Iris are gonna be here soon and we need to be ready."

Her food finished, she jumped out of her chair. "Okay, mama!" Soleil ran back to her room.

Prompto sighed. "The one thing keeping this day from being perfect..." he muttered.

Katia walked over to him, giving him a hug. "Hey, you know he'd want to be there," she said. "But he had to fulfill his duties as the True King. It's thanks to him today's even possible. Besides, I'm sure he'll be there in spirit. After all he's done for us, there's no way he'd miss it. Not even dying would stop him. So don't get sad, today's supposed to be a happy day for us."

Prompto smiled. "You're right. He'll be there."

The doorbell ringed, signifying that it was time to get things rolling. "Well, I guess that's my cue. I'll be seeing you later, my handsome Chocobo." She kissed him on the cheek, as Soleil ran into the room.

Prompto blushed. After all this time, she still knew how to get him flustered. "I'll be waiting for you at the alter."

\-------------------------------------

"Uuuuuugh, do I really have to put on all this make-up?" Katia asked as she sat in front of a mirror, waiting impatiently for the make-up to be applied.

"Oh come on, it's your big day! You and Prompto are finally getting married! You deserve to look your best for him!" Mira said.

Mira Humanitas was Gladio's fiance. Katia couldn't remember exactly when the two of them had hooked up, as it was in the early days of the Starscourge when the days blended together. But they'd met many times and became quick friends. She was the one applying said make-up, much to Katia's chagrin.

"But I rarely even wear the stuff, and Prom loves me just as much without it. I don't need to be dolled up just to get married, some lipstick will do just fine."

"Nonsense! I'm not letting you go out there until you look stunning! Besides, if he loves you without make-up, just imagine the look on his face when he sees you with make-up."

"I think he'd faint from the overload." Eleiza joked. The former hunter, now Ignis' fiance, laughed at the idea of Prompto fainting at the alter.

"Come on now Katia, I think you look great!" Iris said, her signature smile gracing her face.

"Maybe you think so, but there's a reason I don't normally wear this stuff," Katia said. "Can we at least skip the mascara? I hate the way it feels on me."

Mira let out a sigh. "Fine, no mascara. But I swear to the Six, I'm gonna make you look perfect and _you're gonna like it_! And I can do it without the mascara!"

"I don't get why yer so against this, sugar. It's just a bit of fancy make-up. It's meant ta enhance yer beauty." Cindy said, her face free of the usual grime. She looked even more beautiful than usual. The mechanic had quickly become Katia's friend during the ten years of darkness. She was a fun person to talk to and was always nice. If not for the fact that she'd already found her soulmate, Katia could've easily fallen for her.

"I just don't like how I look with it on. I end up looking like a zombie." Katia said.

"Well that's why I'm here. I picked these colors myself so they'd match with your dress. No zombies here. You're gonna look stunning!" Mira said, insistent on not letting this go.

Soleil ran up to the mirror. "You look really pretty, mama!" she said.

"Awww, thanks sweetie," Katia responded, at least her daughter thought she looked nice. "You should go get ready. You have an important role today, remember?"

"Oh yeah! Right!" Soleil picked her basket of petals off of a table and headed for the door.

"Iris, can you go with her so she doesn't get lost?"

The young Amicita nodded her head. "You can count on me!" she said. She took hold of the little girls hand and walked out the door with her.

"Aaaaaaand, done!" Mira proclaimed with a smile. "Take a look!"

Katia looked at herself in the mirror, surprised by how she looked. The colors chosen weren't too bright or garish, the yellows and oranges were soft, enhancing her eyes and lips. Just as promised, there was no mascara, the eyeliner and eye-shadow making up for it. Her cheeks were dusted a faint pink. Aside from the scars on the right side of her face, not a blemish could be seen on her skin. Mira had done it. "Wow..." was the only thing she managed to say.

"Told you I'd make you look perfect." Mira said. The other women in the room came over and saw for themselves.

"Damn, you look mighty fine there, sugar! Prompto's a lucky man!" Cindy said.

"Oh yeah, he's gonna faint for sure." Eleiza chuckled.

A knock at the door interrupted their thoughts. Katia called for them to enter, and two women were standing there. "You almost done in here? We're ready to start." Aranea said.

"Yeah, and Cor's waiting for you. No doubt my brother is as well." Chrome Animalia said with a smirk. It still surprised Katia how much the beast tamer looked like her husband-to-be. But that's just how twins were.

"Well you're in luck. I just finished with her make-up so we're good to go!" Mira said. "You tell everyone to get ready, we'll be out there in a second." Aranea and Chrome nodded, shutting the door behind them.

"Well, I think that's our cue to get out there. Iris is probably waiting already. We'll see you out there, Katia." Eleiza said. The bridesmaids made their way out as well. Katia let out a breath, trying to compose herself.

"Ya nervous?" Katia turned to find Cindy still there, standing by the door.

"A little bit, yeah," Katia answered. "I mean, we've been waiting for this for ten years, I'm bound to be a little nervous. It's just kinda weird to think that after all this time we're finally gonna be married."

"The two of ya were kinda already married, it jus' weren't officially done," Cindy said. She was right. The two of them were practically married already, as was usual with their relationship. But they still wanted this to be official. "An' I'll bet you that Prompto's even more nervous than you are. Ya know how he gets 'bout these things."

"Yeah, you're right," Katia stood up from the chair she'd been sitting in, grabbing her bouquet from the side of the table. "Okay, I'm ready."

Cindy smiled. "Then let's git goin'. The Marshall's waitin'." She exited the room, probably to catch up with the other bridesmaids, as Katia followed shortly after. After making her way through the hallways, she eventually found Cor Leonis standing by the kids. They were waiting on their cues. Cor's head popped up as she walked closer.

"I was beginning to wonder if you bailed." he said.

Katia scoffed. "Oh please, like I'd run out on this. Not after getting my face covered in all this stuff."

"Remind me why I'm walking down the isle with you again?"

"Because my father sadly can't be here, and I need someone to give me away. And you were my first choice. I thought you'd be honored."

"I am, I'm just still a bit confused is all."

"Age is catching up to you, Cor."

"I'm not that old."

The music began to play, halting their conversation. Well, this was it. Her life as Katia Ferrum was about to end.

\------------------------------

"You think the girls are okay?" Prompto asked, glancing over at Gladio with worry in his eyes.

Gladio just laughed. "If I know Mira, she's probably taking her time applying Katia's make-up so she'll look perfect. And that takes a while. They'll be here."

"There's no need to worry, Prompto," Ignis said from the podium. "Katia loves you dearly, I don't need my eyesight to see that. She's been patient for ten years, there's no possibility that she'll walk out on you."

"Yeah, you're right," Prompto nervously chuckled. "Nerves are just getting to me, I guess."

"By the way, thanks for making me your best man," Gladio said. "I know I wasn't your first choice and all, but I'm honored."

"Hey, it's no problem, big guy. You were the perfect choice. No offense, Ignis."

"None taken. I am honored that I am the one who shall be marrying you two. It is certainly a reprieve from working on restoring the city."

"Hey Specs, you sure it's a good idea to hold this here? The Citadel ain't a chapel." Gladio looked out over the former royal gardens, the guests talking with each other.

"I can assure you that all traces of Ardyn's mess have been removed. I made sure that was the first item of business to be taken care of. Besides, I'm positive that Noct would want the wedding to be held here."

The three of them went silent, the mention of their fallen friend still a fresh wound. They knew it would take time to heal, but they knew that Noctis would want them to live their lives and try to be happy. There was no use letting his sacrifice hang over their heads forever.

"Iggy's right. He would've insisted we have it here. Nothing but the best for his best friends." Prompto said, trying to smile.

Gladio silently agreed with him. He watched as Cindy, Mira, and Eleiza entered the gardens. "The girls are here. Looks like we're about to start."

Prompto went stiff, his nerves getting the best of him as the music began to play. Everyone turned as Ordo Scientia walked down the isle, the rings in hand. The eight year-old looked nervous, as if he thought he would drop the pillow at any moment. Next, Soleil made her way down the aisle behind him, throwing flowers everywhere. She was clearly having too much fun being the flower girl. Watching her seemed to settle Prompto's nerves a little, though it also made him a bit irritated that he couldn't take any pictures. Those thoughts vanished as his bride walked down alongside Cor.

He already thought Katia was beautiful, but seeing her walk down in her wedding dress was too much. Instead of the traditional white, her dress was a light yellow. It had no sleeves, and a huge skirt. Said skirt had been designed to look like it was made of feathers, obviously invoking the chocobos they both loved. Around her neck sat a golden pendant in the shape of a chocobo feather. The bouquet she held in her hands was comprised of yellow roses and white chrysanthemums, enhancing the fluffy visuals of her dress. She looked absolutely stunning.

He didn't even realize he was falling over until he felt Gladio's hands grabbing him from behind. "Calm down there, lover boy. Your wedding is no time to faint." he whispered, helping get him back up.

Katia made her way up to the podium next to Prompto, Cor heading towards his seat. Ignis assumed that the two were standing there, and cleared his throat to get everyone's attention. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness the union of Prompto Argentum and Katia Ferrum, in holy matrimony. Over the years, these two have shown that even in darkness, the true love between soulmates cannot be broken. If there is anyone here who objects to this union, speak now or forever hold your peace," To the surprise of no one, nobody objected. "Very well then."

As Ignis continued, the couple just looked at each other, still in shock that this was happening. They were happy though, not many people in this world were as lucky as them. Yet here they were, about to be married. It felt like a dream, but the smiles on each others faces told them this was no dream. It was as real as can be.

"Will the bride and groom make their vows?" Ignis asked, snapping them both out of their thoughts. Prompto turned to face her, his whole face practically pink.

"Kat, I feel like the luckiest man in Eos right now," Prompto began. "Not many people out there can say they got to marry their best friend, yet here I am. I get to marry the most beautiful, adorable, fun, and interesting woman I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. Part of me feels like you still don't deserve me, but then I look at you and that mark on your wrist and I remember how much you mean to me. And after everything we've been through, I'm ecstatic to be your husband. I love you so much, and I can only ask that you love me even half as much as that. I promise that I'll always be by your side, no matter what the future holds."

Katia felt like she was about to cry, but held back her tears. Mira would kill her if she ruined her make-up after all. A few people were already in tears, she didn't need to be one of them. "Prom, you make me feel like no one else does. For years you've been there in my darkest moments, when I've thought all hope was lost, and you've brought me back with your smile and kindness. For ten years I told myself I didn't need the sun in the sky, because I had my own sun right beside me. You've always been my best friend, and now you're about to be my husband. I couldn't ask for anything more. We've been through a lot, and I know that whatever comes our way you'll be there with me. You're sweet, adorable, handsome, and kind. Everything I'd ever want in a partner. And even if we weren't soulmates, I know I'd still fall in love with you. You're the most important person in my life, and I love you so much that I could go on for hours."

If people weren't crying before, they probably were now. Ignis just smiled. "Do you, Prompto Argentum, take this woman to be your wife, in sickness and in health, in darkness and in light, 'til death do you part?"

"I do."

"And do you, Katia Ferrum, take this man to be your husband, in sickness and in health, in darkness and in light, 'til death do you part?"

"I do."

"Then by the power vested in me, I pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

It's as if those words couldn't have come sooner, as Prompto and Katia Argentum immediately pressed their lips together, eliciting cheers from the guests. As her parents kissed and sealed their union, Soleil noticed something that wasn't there before. Standing next to Gladio were two people. One was a beautiful blonde woman wearing a white dress that she didn't recognize. The other was unmistakable, even if she'd only met him once before, but it was clearly Noctis. Both of them were smiling at her parents. Soleil was confused, she was told Noctis was too busy to come so why was he here? And how come no one else noticed him? His gaze turned towards her, noticing that she could see him.

"Hey Squirt, don't tell anyone I was here, okay? I think it might just make people upset. It's a secret between us, got it?"

Soleil just nodded, not exactly understanding what was going on but figuring there was a reason for it. She was about to say something to him, but when she looked back where he'd been standing no one was there. Oh well, maybe it was better to leave it be.

Prompto Argentum used to believe he would never find his soulmate, that he was undeserving of them. But as he stood there, holding his wife's hand in his and feeling the warmth he knew better than anything, those thoughts never even crossed his mind. Sure, things had been rough for both of them, and getting where they were now had not been an easy journey, but looking into her eyes, he knew that things would get better. Because he was going to be sure that Katia would be happy with him no matter what.

From now on, the Argentums would make the world a better place, standing by each other's side. And even though their friend was gone, they knew that they'd be happy. For the two of them were birds of a feather.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd like to thank everyone who's been keeping up with this story for the past three months! And don't worry, I'm not done writing about these two! I have a ton of ideas I plan on writing and I hope you'll be there to read them! This was a blast to write and I hope my other stories with these two are just as enjoyable!


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